Geological Survey of India (GSI), one of the nation’s oldest and prestigious scientific institutions, hosted a ‘Grand Walkathon’ themed ‘Geoscience for a safe world’ recently as part of its 175th anniversary celebrations.
It is a repository of geological information required in various fields in the India.
It has also attained the status of a geo-scientific organisations of international repute.
Founded in – 1851.
It was primarily established to explore coal deposits for the railways.
Nodal Ministry - At present, the Geological Survey of India is an attached office of the Ministry of Mines.
Headquarters – Kolkata.
Regional offices - Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata and state unit offices in almost all the states of the country.
Functions - Its main functions relate to creating and updating of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment.
Objectives achieved through ground surveys, air-borne and marine surveys, mineral prospecting and investigations, multi-disciplinary geological, geotechnical, geo-environmental, natural hazards studies.
It is also by glaciology, seismological studies, and fundamental research.
It provides impartial and up-to-date geological expertise and geoscientific information of all kinds, with a focus on policy making decisions, commercial and socio-economic needs.
GSI also emphasises on systematic documentation of all geological processes, both surface and subsurface, of India and its offshore areas.
The organisation carries out this work through geological, geophysical, & geochemical surveys using the latest and most cost-effective techniques and methodologies.
GSI’s core competence in survey and mapping is continuously enhanced through accretion, management, coordination and utilization of spatial databases.
It functions as a ‘Repository’ for the purpose and uses the latest computer-based technologies for dissemination of geoscientific information and spatial data.
