Survey of India

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The Survey of India is India’s central agency for mapping and surveying. It was formed in 1767 and is one of the oldest government engineering departments. The agency is headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and, as of 2016, had about 5,500 employees. It operates under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, with Dr Jitendra Singh as the minister responsible. The head of the agency is the Surveyor General of India, a position currently held by Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana.

A quick look at its history and work
- The first modern scientific survey of India was done by John Mather between 1793 and 1796.
- The Great Trigonometrical Survey ran from 1802 to 1852, led by Col. William Lambton and completed under Lt. George Everest.
- Indian mathematician Radhanath Sikdar measured Mount Everest in 1852 at 29,002 feet; modern measurements list the height as 29,037 feet.
- This work marked the beginning of a systematic topographical mapping tradition in India.

What the Survey does today
- It has 18 geospatial divisions and 23 geospatial directorates across the country.
- Surveyors are the backbone of the organization. Recruitment to many posts is through the Indian Engineering Services examination conducted by the UPSC.
- The Survey of India publishes maps. Unrestricted topographic maps are available, while restricted maps require government approval. Only Indian citizens may purchase topographic maps, and they cannot be exported.

Recent policy changes
- On 15 February 2021, the Government announced changes to India’s mapping policy to relax many previous restrictions. A list of proposed restrictions was published by the Department of Science and Technology for public comment by 30 July 2021.