Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology

Established in June, 1968 as a small nucleus in the Geology Department, Delhi University, the Institute was shifted to Dehradun during April, 1976. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun is an autonomous research institute of the Department of the Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. Initially named as the Institute of Himalayan Geology, it was renamed as the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in memory of its founder, the late Prof. D. N. Wadia (F.R.S. and National Professor), in appreciation to his contributions to the geology of the Himalayas. During the last quarter century the Institute has grown into a centre of excellence in Himalayan Geology and is recognised as a National Laboratory of international repute with well equipped laboratories and other infrastructural facilities for undertaking advanced level of research in the country. Thrust Areas of Research In the early years of the Institute, the major thrust of the research activity was directed towards remote areas with difficult mountainous terrain and hard working conditions, as well as where the geological framework and geological knowledge were lacking. In the beginning the Arunachal Himalaya, Higher Himalaya of Kumaun and Lahaul-Spiti and Indus-suture of Ladakh and Karakoram were taken as priority areas for geological research. Now the thrust of the research has been focused on some specialized areas of national as well as international relevance in both the western and eastern Himalayas. With the continuous growth of analytical and field observational facilites as well as in-house expertise for undertaking intergrated geoscientific research, the major scientific programmes being pursued under the present 11th Five Year Plan are aimed to address special scientific themes in the form of Mission Mode Projects (MMP).