Why in News?
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.
Reference
The Hindu | Geological Survey of India (GSI)
