Here’s a short note on the Geological Survey of India (GSI):
Overview
- Formation: Established on 4 March 1851.
- Jurisdiction: Government of India.
- Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
- Parent Agency: Ministry of Mines.
Historical Background
- Early Beginnings: The roots of GSI can be traced back to 1836 with the formation of the “Coal Committee” to study coal availability in eastern India.
- First Surveyor: David Hiram Williams was appointed as the ‘Surveyor of coal districts and superintendent of coal works, Bengal’ on 3 December 1845.
- Official Formation: The phrase “Geological Survey of India” was first used on a map in December 1847.
- Expansion of Scope: In 1852, under Sir Thomas Oldham, the GSI expanded its focus from coal exploration to mapping the geology of India.
Key Functions and Objectives
- Geological Surveys and Studies: Conducting geological surveys and studies across India.
- Earth Science Information: Providing basic earth science information to the government, industry, and the general public.
- Industry Participation: Official participant in steel, coal, metals, cement, and power industries.
- International Forums: Active participant in international geoscientific forums.
Notable Achievements
- Ramgarh Crater: Frederick Richard Mallet was the first to visit the Ramgarh crater in 1869.
- Seismotectonic Atlas: Published the Digital Seismotectonic Atlas of India and its Environs, comprising 43 SEISAT sheets on a scale of 1:1 million.
Modern Initiatives
- Online Core Business Integrated System (OCBIS): An integrated web-enabled interactive system incorporating technologies like GIS, Enterprise Portal, DMS, SOA, BPM, RDBMS, etc., to manage and automate all scientific and administrative processes of GSI.
- BHUKOSH: The gateway for all geoscientific data of GSI, providing access to published quadrangle geological maps and metadata.
Academic Interest
- Geological Mapping: GSI’s work in geological mapping, rock types, geological structures, and relative ages of different rock types is of significant academic interest.
- Index Fossils: The use of index fossils to estimate the age of rock strata before the development of radiometric dating methods.
- Seismotectonic Studies: The Seismotectonic Atlas provides valuable data for seismotectonic studies, including epicenters of earthquakes and fault plane solutions.
