Defence
The oldest scientific department of the Government of India, set up in 1767, is the:
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Answer: Option A — Survey of India
Detailed Solution
The Survey of India, set up in 1767, is the oldest scientific department of the Government of India.
About the Survey of India:
It was established in 1767 by the British East India Company to consolidate the territories it had acquired.
Major James Rennell was appointed the first Surveyor General of Bengal in 1767. He prepared the "Bengal Atlas" and the first fairly accurate map of India (1782). He is called the "Father of Indian Geography" (or of Indian cartography).
Its headquarters is in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
It works under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
It is India's national survey and mapping organisation.
The Great Trigonometrical Survey:
- It was started in 1802 by William Lambton, from Madras, to measure the Indian subcontinent with scientific precision.
- George Everest, Surveyor General from 1830 to 1843, continued the survey.
- In 1852, the mathematician Radhanath Sikdar, working in the survey's office at Calcutta, calculated the height of the world's highest mountain, which was named "Mount Everest" after George Everest in 1865.
Its functions:
- It prepares topographic maps of India on various scales.
- It maintains the national geodetic and leveling network.
- It publishes India's official political map.
- Under the "National Geospatial Policy, 2022", mapping data has been made more freely available.
- It runs the "SVAMITVA" scheme (2020) with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, using drones to map rural residential land and give property cards to villagers.
- Its training institute is the "National Institute for Geo-informatics Science and Technology" in Hyderabad.
Other old scientific departments:
- Geological Survey of India: 1851 (second-oldest survey); Kolkata.
- India Meteorological Department: 1875; New Delhi.
- Botanical Survey of India: 1890; Kolkata.
- Zoological Survey of India: 1916; Kolkata.
- Archaeological Survey of India: 1861; New Delhi.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Geological Survey of India was set up in 1851.
- ✗The India Meteorological Department was set up in 1875.
- ✗The Botanical Survey of India was set up in 1890.
Quick tip
Remember: Survey of India = 1767, oldest scientific department (HQ Dehradun; James Rennell first Surveyor General; Great Trigonometrical Survey 1802 by Lambton; Everest named 1865); GSI = 1851; IMD = 1875; BSI = 1890.
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.