On the fourth day of March 185,a beginning was made
In Kolkata, British Geologist Thomas Oldham appeared
And started GSI to further the cherished dream
To find fuel for the rail engine, the big coal seam.
The torch further passed on to valiant hands
Medlicott, Holland, Pascoe, Fermor, Heron and West
Their work laid the astounding foundation at its best
Bose,Krishnan,Roy,Sondhi and Jhingran continued
And the Geological knowledge since then has bloomed.
For 175 -years, foot soldiers treaded India’s most part
From snow clad rugged Himalayas to Thar desert
Aravallis,Vindhyans,Satpuras, Ghats in West and East
Deccan Plateau, Gangetic alluvium to sands of Coast
With hammer in hand, hitting hard every stone
That throws challenge to identify with a lens,so keen
The compass to locate in field where rock is perched
In a Geological map, the stone finds its characters etched.
From the deep ocean floors to far away skies so high
The Surveys and Exploration soar and reach the sky.
With photos, satellites, and Remote Sensing eyes
They map the earth and chart new search from skies.
From the gleaming Gold to sparkling Diamond
Base metals, Coal, Bauxite, and Iron all around
They hunt treasures hiding beneath the ground
And nation’s wealth grows with every new find.
Today, the Geologists venture far and wide,
For strategic, critical minerals they now stride
Lithium, Tantalum, Tin and Rare Earths grace
Nicke, Cobalt,Gallium,Selenium to trace.
For 175 years of brave, bold and daring quest
In search of minerals, they give their best.
Their toils, their triumphs, etched in every stone
A legacy of Geo Science shall continue to shine.
….. Narayan Gadagkar