Varsha Ashok Aglawe Becomes First Woman Director General of Geological Survey of India
- Varsha Ashok Aglawe has taken charge as the 54th Director General of the Geological Survey of India.
- She is the first woman to lead the organisation in its 176-year history.
- Aglawe is an expert in palaeontology and palynology with more than three decades of professional experience.
By NSB.News
Varsha Ashok Aglawe has taken charge as the 54th Director General of the Geological Survey of India, or GSI. With this appointment, she has become the first woman to lead India’s premier geoscientific organisation in its 176-year history.
Aglawe has succeeded Asit Saha, who served as the Director General of GSI from July 27, 2024, to July 31, 2026.
More Than Three Decades of Experience
Varsha Ashok Aglawe has more than three decades of professional experience in the field of geoscience. She joined the Geological Survey of India in 1992 after serving with the Indian Bureau of Mines.
During her career, she held several important scientific and administrative positions across GSI’s Central, Northern and Eastern Regions. She also served at the organisation’s Central Headquarters.
Before taking charge as Director General, Aglawe was serving as Additional Director General and Head of Department of GSI’s Eastern Region in Kolkata.
Expert in Palaeontology and Palynology
Aglawe is an expert in palaeontology and palynology. She has made significant contributions to research on Late Cretaceous-Palaeocene sediments, the K-T boundary and the Satpura-Gondwana basins.
Varsha Ashok Aglawe : One of her major achievements was identifying the Salbardi-Ghorpend area in Central India as a new dinosaur nesting site. The discovery contributed to research on the presence and nesting behaviour of dinosaurs in the region.
Aglawe has also contributed to international scientific research. She participated in collaborative palaeontological studies with the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan in the United States.
In 2023, she represented GSI as a member of the Indian delegation at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, or PDAC, convention in Toronto. Varsha Ashok Aglawe
Strengthened GSI’s Institutional Capabilities
Apart from her scientific contributions, Aglawe has played an important role in strengthening the institutional and technical capabilities of the Geological Survey of India. Varsha Ashok Aglawe
She contributed to the establishment of a state-of-the-art Palynology Laboratory at GSI’s Northern Region office in Lucknow. She also led several multidisciplinary geoscientific programmes across the country. Varsha Ashok Aglawe
As the first woman Director General of GSI, Aglawe will be responsible for advancing geological surveys, mineral exploration, natural resource assessment and modern geoscientific research in India.