The Department of Geology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi:A Success Story of 100 Years

Completion of one hundred years of existence is a monumental occasion on every front. If an academic institution of eminence crosses this milestone it becomes imperative not only to celebrate this historic event, but also necessitate us to pause and ruminate with pride its long and illustrious journey through the past century. The Department of Geology of the Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, established in 1919, has completed its centennial year in October of 2019 and joins the proud list of such century old prestigious academic institutions of our country like Presidency University, Kolkata and Presidency College, Chennai, where such departments were started as early as in 1892 and 1910 respectively. It is a coincidence that two renowned earth science unions, viz. the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU) have completed 100 years of their glorious services in 2019. This write-up briefly outlines the evolutionary history of the Department of Geology, BHU, its phenomenal role as a progenitor and mentor to several other distinguished earth science departments across the country, present status, and also its roadmap for the future.