Geological Survey of India (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – GovSci and Tech)

Context: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) celebrated its 174th Foundation Day on 4th March, 2024, in a grand manner across all its offices throughout the country.

Geological Survey of India (GSI)

• About: GSI is a scientific agency of India.
• Founded: In 1851, as a Government of India organization under the Ministry of Mines
• Headquarters: Kolkata, 
• 6 Regional Offices: Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Mines
• Functions: Creation and updating of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment constitute primary objectives.
• Ground surveys, air-borne and marine surveys, mineral prospecting, and investigations are employed to achieve these goals.
• Various methods, including multi-disciplinary geoscientific and geo-technical approaches, are utilized in pursuit of these objectives.
• Role of the Geological Survey of India (GSI)

oDevelopment Catalyst: The GSI has been instrumental in the nation's progress by furnishing crucial data on India's geology and mineral resources.

oEnhancing Understanding: It has significantly deepened our comprehension of the Earth's history, evolutionary processes, and dynamics through its research.

oNational Mapping Efforts: Mapping the entirety of India across various scales and producing thematic maps on diverse geological facets have been pivotal achievements of the GSI.