Smt. Varsha Ashok Aglawe has assumed charge as the 54th Director General of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), becoming the first woman to head India’s premier geoscientific organisation in its 176-year history.
A distinguished geoscientist with more than three decades of professional experience, Smt. Aglawe joined GSI in 1992 after serving with the Indian Bureau of Mines. During her career, she has held several important scientific and administrative positions in GSI’s Central, Northern and Eastern Regions, besides serving at Central Headquarters. Prior to assuming the present office, she was Additional Director General & Head of Department, Eastern Region, Kolkata.
An expert in palaeontology and palynology, Smt. Aglawe has made significant contributions to the study of the Late Cretaceous–Palaeocene sediments, K-T boundary, and Satpura-Gondwana basins. She reported the Salbardi–Ghorpend area as a new dinosaur nesting site in Central India, contributed to international research and participated in collaborative palaeontological studies with the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology, USA. She also represented GSI as a member of the Indian delegation to PDAC 2023 in Toronto, Canada.
Besides her scientific contributions, she has played an important role in strengthening GSI’s institutional capabilities, including establishing a state-of-the-art Palynology Laboratory at the Northern Region office in Lucknow and leading multidisciplinary geoscientific programmes across the country.
On assuming office, Smt. Aglawe reaffirmed GSI’s commitment to aligning its programmes with the Government of India’s priorities in critical mineral exploration and mineral security. She emphasized accelerating exploration of deep-seated and concealed mineral deposits through advanced geophysical investigations, fast-tracked exploration programmes and strengthened laboratory infrastructure. She also highlighted the need to expand offshore mineral exploration, promote cutting-edge geoscientific research, strengthen public-good geoscience programmes such as natural hazard studies and glaciology, and enhance scientific publications and capacity building for young geoscientists.
Expressing confidence in GSI’s scientific expertise and expanding technological capabilities, she said the organisation is well positioned to meet the nation’s growing demand for critical and strategic minerals while contributing to sustainable resource development through geoscientific excellence and innovation.