Amit Sharma
Geology is widely defined as an archival and analytic science that studies the Earth’s systems and conditions, including those of the atmosphere and oceans, in order to better understand Earth for society’s benefit. It is an applied science that is relevant to society in that it satisfies many of its demands, including those for natural resources, environmental quality, and resistance to natural disasters. Geoscientists analyse the most recent data on natural occurrences to understand Earth’s historical data, assess the current state of the planet, and forecast how the planet will probably respond in the future. Thus, geological education is the cornerstone of social and economic growth in any nation, and it is essential for making choices and for the continued existence of mankind on the planet that its knowledge be shared with all relevant parties (students, the general public, and policymakers). Geology has a big impact on how society develops and grows as a whole. An International Geoscience Education Organization (IGEO) was formally founded in 2000 to assist geological learning. The IGEO’s main goals are to advance geoscience teaching globally, improve its efficacy and equitable treatment, and raise knowledge of geoscience across all spheres of society.
Since the Indian subcontinent is rich in georesources and investigation on its geological context has proven useful in elucidating various mechanisms of the Earth system and generating the subcontinent’s georesources, both geological study and teaching are crucial in India. However, geology as a separate academic discipline in science did not first arise in a few Indian colleges until the 1890s. Geological study in India began in 1836. The development of fundamental and practical geological ideas, as well as addressing the growth of the nation’s economy through utilizing natural resources, are all goals of Indian geological teaching. Geoscientists examine the sources of the vast majority of the materials that we rely on a daily basis, including minerals, soils, energy, oil and natural gas, air, water, and food, as geological learning encompasses the entire Earth system. The control and disposal of garbage (sewage, water pollution, landfills, non-biodegradable, nuclear, and recycling), choosing locations for the establishment of mega-projects (dams, tunnels, reservoirs, roads, rail tracks, and buildings), as well as providing solutions for various environmental issues, are all crucial functions performed by geoscientists. Geoscientists research natural disasters (such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, landslides, subsidence, floods, heat waves, droughts, natural contamination, cyclones, and severe storms) to gauge their risks and build resilient communities where casualty of life and property is kept to a minimum and preparedness, mitigation, and recovery are implemented. Global warming, fossil fuel limited supplies, shortages of resources, biodiversity loss, extreme weather events, water quality problems, and air pollution are just a few of the issues that the world faces today as a result of increasing populations and unjust practices in the consumption of natural resources. As a result, geoscientists are now trying to resolve a variety of Earth and environmental concerns while guaranteeing the sustainable use of natural resources and their preservation for coming generations.
By offering crucial corrective strategies to lessen the influence of geogenic elements and human interventions in the Earth’s natural setting, geological education also has significant societal consequences for raising environmental and human health standards. In India, geogenic groundwater pollutants, particularly fluoride and arsenic, represent a major risk to the well-being of people. Groundwater localized fluorosis and the health effects caused by arsenic contamination were first identified in 1937 and 1976, respectively. Given the different viewpoints of mythologies and religions that teach us how to exist in balance with the Earth, society can greatly benefit from knowledge of the geological past, the growth of life, and Earth’s historical ecosystems. Overall, geological awareness, knowledge, and advice are crucial in making choices for many societal solutions, including the management of renewable natural resources, the building of large structures, the mitigation and management of natural hazards, community and regional planning, and environmental impact evaluations. In order to achieve some of the UN’s sustainable development goals, such as achieving world hunger eradication, excellent health and wellbeing, clean water and the environment, building viable cities, and the conservation of aquatic ecosystems, geological knowledge is also essential.
The Mughal Empire dominated the subcontinent for 332 years, from 1526 to 1858, because they recognized the significance of the geological riches of the region at the time. While this was going on, the British (i.e., the East India Company) invaded the nation in 1757, then expanded their imperialism and governed it from 1858 to 1947. They were aware of the country’s abundance in natural resources, particularly its coal deposits, and they engaged in considerable mineral resource mining throughout their rule. There are still numerous georesources in the nation. Around the northeastern edge of the Cuddapah Basin, in southern India, gravels from the ultramafic igneous rock field present near Krishna River yielded some legendary diamonds, including the Kohinoor, Great Moghul, and Regent.
Geoheritage has recently become a significant area of public and scholarly interest that supports geoscience studies, teaching, geotourism, and sustainable development. ”Geosites of important educational, cultural, scientific, and aesthetic value” are included in the concept of geoheritage, which is a crucial component of the natural (geocultural) heritage. India has plenty of potential to advance geoheritage-related research, education, and tourism because of its many diverse and rich geocultural heritage sites. 26 geological locations, including those in geologically diverse states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, have been designated as National Geological Monuments of India by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
Geological studies of the Indian lithospheric plate offers numerous opportunities to study the geodynamics of the Earth on a global scale, in addition to serving as an environment for the generation of new geological concepts. The terrain of the Indian subcontinent is unique, with the Indian Ocean to the south and the Himalayan mountain range to the north. Peninsular India to the south, extra-peninsular India (also known as the Himalayan division) to the north and the Indo-Gangetic plains in the middle make up its three primary physiographic divisions. Peninsular India shows many good locations to study Precambrian age tectonism because they contain a rich treasury of different commercial minerals, building and industrial materials, jewels, and decorative stones. There is a wealth of biotic data from the Peninsular India that can be used to investigate the early development of Earth’s life and atmosphere. Massive coal deposits and an abundance of plant and animal fossils can be found in the Gondwana basins. Rajmahal and Deccan, two significant volcanic traps, provide prospects to examine the Earth’s interior, the function of mantle plumes in the dislocation and moving of the former Gondwanan continents, the speed of the shifting of the Indian plate, and the ecological impacts of volcanic eruption on modern organisms. India’s coastal regions are covered with a significant amount of sedimentary successions, including the Krishna-Cauvery basins in the south and the Bombay high in Maharashtra, which are major sources of lignite, coal, oil, and natural gas. These enable us to investigate how changes in paleoclimate have affected the phenomena of historical sea level changes. Large expanses of glaciers, snow, and ice can be found in the Himalayas, which act as a substantial freshwater storage in Asia and a constant source of water for the nine river systems that sustain roughly one-third of mankind. Investigating plate movements, plate borders, seismicity, neotectonics, slope equilibrium, soil erosion susceptibility, climatic change, glacier melting, utilizing geological resources, and mountain-building processes are all possible in the Himalayan region. The Indo-Gangetic plains have abundant water supplies, and their sediments have made the land exceedingly fertile and appropriate for both industrial and agricultural uses.
Therefore, geoscientific investigation has a significant impact on the study of the accessibility and geographical distribution of natural resources, areas of natural hazards, issues linked to the environment, and the responsible utilization of natural resources, all of which are of direct importance to society. Given its extensive geological history, India has to improve its geological learning in order to develop geoheritage sites, discover its georesources and secure their long-term viability, and handle geoenvironmental issues nationwide.