Platinum Jubilee of the Palaeontological Society of India: The journey thus far and challenges ahead

FORMATIVE YEARS

After the country’s independence in 1947, on 26th January 1950, India adopted a constitution and became the Sovereign Republic of India. In 2025, the nation celebrates its Platinum Jubilee as the Amrit Mahotsav. Seventy-five years in the history of a country like India is a very short duration. However, sustaining for 75 years in an individual’s life is remarkable. The same applies to scientific societies and academic institutions. In 2025, the Palaeontological Society of India (PSI) is also celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of its establishment. In the following paragraphs, I have tried to trace the journey and accomplishments of the PSI over the last 75 years, its role in advancing palaeontology in the country and challenges ahead.

Seeds for the society were sown on 26th January 1950 when seven seasoned and young enthusiastic academicians, mainly based at Lucknow, Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Banaras (now Varanasi), resolved to constitute an academic society for documenting the country’s fossil treasures (Figure 1). The society was named ‘The Palaeontological Society of India’ (PSI). When the PSI was registered in India, other leading palaeontological societies in the world included ‘The Palaeontographical Society’ in Britain (founded in 1847 primarily to publish monographs) and ‘The Paleontological Society’ in America (founded in 1908). ‘The Palaeontological Association’ became the UK’s main society within the discipline and was established only in 1957. It is a matter of great satisfaction, like PSI, that all these societies and many others around the world remain active and functional.

Figure 1.

A facsimile of the Memorandum of Understanding of the Palaeontological Society of India showing signatures of the founding members on 26th January 1950. (Courtesy: Archives PSI).

Various year-long academic programmes are planned for this occasion to mark the Platinum Jubilee of the PSI. These events should be seen from the perspective of the objectives laid out at the time of the formation of the society. At the time of registration, the founders put forward very significant objectives for the society that included (a) assisting in explorations for oil and coal; (b) elucidation of important unsolved problems of Indian Palaeontology (e.g., age of the Vindhyan and Krol systems), Palaeobotany (e.g., Pre-Cambrian floras), Prehistory (particularly discovery of fossil man in India and bridging the Mesolithic and Neolithic lacunae); (c) preparation of palaeogeographic maps, index of animal and plant fossils and of lithic tools; (d) search for mammalian origins in Permo-Triassic rocks (e) assisting in world correlations of faunas, floras and lithic industries; (f) preparation of monographs on Indian fossils or related faunas; (g) initiation of studies in palaeontological statistics, rates of evolution and geological time determination, etc. Beyond its scientific pursuits, the PSI has broader, societal aims. Among its other essential objectives were (h) founding a Museum and a Library to disseminate scientific and popular knowledge among the lay public, and last but not least; (i) it aims at fostering goodwill among scientists of different countries as a means of promoting unity and tolerance, which is as important as science itself in the world of today. Crucially, society sought to foster goodwill among scientists from different countries, recognising that promoting unity and tolerance is as vital as science in the contemporary world. At this point, examining the progress in achieving society’s aims and objectives would be appropriate.

With hindsight, I can see that the founders were visionary; many of the society’s objectives were futuristic. Palaeontological studies in India can be traced to the latter part of the nineteenth century. Among the earliest to study Indian fossils scientifically were Dr Hugh Falconer and Capt. Proby Cautley. In addition to seminal work on the Siwalik fauna, Falconer was the first to suggest that the earliest human fossils might occur in India or Africa, and was one of a very small group of scientists whose opinion of The Origin of Species Charles Darwin cared deeply about. Thus, Indian palaeontology mattered greatly internationally from its earliest origins. Soon after, the Moravian palaeontologist, Ferdinand Stoliczka, PhD (1838–1874), was designated by the Geological Survey of India as the first Indian palaeontologist on its rolls. His palaeontological and geological contributions remain highly regarded, and his work is considered to have laid the ground for systematic palaeontology in the country. Unfortunately, he died very young in Moorgo during a Himalayan expedition and was laid to rest in Leh (Figure 2). During this colonial period, most systematic palaeontological work on Indian fossils was ‘outsourced’ to experts resident abroad, often in continental Europe, rather than palaeontologists based in the subcontinent itself. Furthermore, almost all research on fossils in the subcontinent took place under the aegis of GSI and thus was controlled by the colonial authority. This is why, after Dr Stoliczka, the founder President of the PSI, Dr M. R. Sahni, was the first Indian national to be designated as the official palaeontologist of the Geological Survey of India in 1954. At that time in the official hierarchy, Dr Sahni was second on the administrative ladder of the GSI. He must be privy to the administrative process of the then government for the development of the nation’s energy sector.

Figure 2.

Grave and epitaph of Ferdinand Stoliczka, PhD, the first official palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of India at Leh. He was born in Moravia on 7th June 1838 and died at Moorgo on 19th June 1874. (Photo Courtesy Mr Ilyas and Dr Rakesh Chandra, Ladakh).

The office bearers of the PSI impressed upon the learned academicians and institutions nationwide to start capacity building for the Oil and Gas organisation to be established in the future. The Oil and Natural Gas Division was initiated in the Geological Survey of India in 1955 and later converted into the Oil and Natural Gas Commission in 1956 by the Government of India; subsequently, it became the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in 1989. Many universities, established and new, realised the importance of PSI’s suggestion for capacity building in Earth Science and began offering geology courses. Students from these universities benefited greatly from finding placement in the ONGC, Oil India Limited, Coal India Limited, etc. Thus, the first objective of the society was well served.

Another important objective of the society was to resolve the age problems of the Vindhyan and Krol successions. The society’s flagship publication, the Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India (JPSI), was pivotal in publishing seminal research and review papers to resolve the age of the Vindhyan and Krol ‘Systems’. To a large extent, several key research papers that were instrumental in settling the controversies related to these basins were first published in the JPSI. Similarly, significant discoveries on Precambrian palaeobiology were reported repeatedly in the society’s journal. The society also organised national and international field workshops and meetings on the Vindhyan and Krol basins, which were widely attended.

Although the Society was not directly involved in preparing palaeogeographic maps, PSI fellows were actively engaged in the exercise, in individual and official capacities, under the aegis of the International Geological Correlation Programs (IGCP).

ACADEMIC INITIATIVES

Another important objective of the PSI was initiating studies in palaeontological statistics, rates of evolution, geological time determination, etc. The records of the ISI mention that the Geological Studies Unit (GSU) was established in 1957 in response to a visit by a lecturer from the University College, London. Since then, the GSU has been functioning at ISI.

In the early years, the society’s activities were confined to publishing the journal and organising expert visits to various geologically crucial sections in the field. The 22nd International Geological Congress, held in 1964 in New Delhi, gave a thrust to international collaborations with the society.

PSI has provided a forum to discuss the controversial issues of stratigraphy and palaeontology, where researchers and academicians worldwide have participated. In some cases, it has organised the field meetings and workshops to discuss the controversial subjects on the outcrops. Three incidents are worth mentioning. Fossil discoveries by Adolf Seilacher and Rafat J. Azmi, reported in ‘Science’ and ‘Journal of the Geological Society of India’ respectively, were intensely debated internationally. One national and one international field workshop were organised to address the identification of fossil findings and the age controversy of the Vindhyan basin, and several global experts participated in these workshops.

Professor V. J. Gupta’s fossil controversy cast a shadow on Indian palaeontology and its practitioners in the early 1980s. Then, the Executive Council of the PSI decided to chronicle the events of V. J. Gupta’s fossil controversy. Professor S. K. Shah, who had seen the entire episode very closely, wrote a special publication under the society’s banner entitled ‘Himalayan Fossil Fraud’. This publication allows readers to understand the episode and V. J. Gupta’s unethical conduct. It narrated his culpability and cleared the dark clouds over the entire palaeontological community of India.

As an annual feature, PSI organises three lectures: Professor M. R. Sahni Memorial Lecture, Professor S. N. Singh Memorial Lecture and Professor R. C. Misra Memorial Lecture. All these founders of the PSI and doyens of Indian geology were honoured by the establishment of memorial lectures. Eminent palaeontologists, micropalaeontologists and geologists from India and abroad deliver these lectures.

National and international collaborations

The Society is a corporate member of the International Palaeontological Association (IPA) and the Federation of Indian Geosciences Associations (FIGA). PSI is also a member of the Asian Palaeontological Association. PSI collaborates with palaeontological societies in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and China, and receives publications in exchange for the journal. Specimens and publications received in exchange are given to the museum and library of the Department of Geology, University of Lucknow.

PUBLICATIONS

All the leading palaeontological societies publish journals; some of the prestigious journals are The Palaeontographical Society Monographs (1848), Journal of Paleontology (1927), Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India (1956), Palaeontology (1957), Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (1981) and Comptes Rendus Palévol (2002). Commercial publishing houses also publish many other palaeontological journals. Like other palaeontological societies, the PSI is one of the oldest functioning societies that publishes its own journal.

Since its first issue appeared in 1956, the JPSI has been regularly published and is entering its 70th year of uninterrupted publication. On the invitation of the President of the PSI, Dr M. R. Sahni, several leading palaeontologists of the world contributed to the first and second volumes, which ran over 447 pages. Encouraged by the research contributions, the Executive Council considered making the journal biannual. However, this initial enthusiasm was not sustained, and it took nearly 50 years to make it biannual. Starting in 2005, with volume no. 50, it is published twice a year and released in June and December. Since then, it has maintained its frequency. The editorial board and successive Chief Editors of the journal shared the daunting task of keeping the schedule. It would be appropriate on this occasion to remember the services of Professors R. V. Sitholey, V. B. Shukla, H. D. Sankalia, D. K. Chakravarty, S. N. Singh, S. K. Singh, S. Kumar and A. K. Jauhri, acting as the Members of the Editorial Board and Chief Editors, in raising the standard and making it an Impact Factor, SCI Journal. In the initial years, Mr Ravi Shanker and Professor I. B. Singh came forward to arrange the manuscripts, when it was facing a crunch of manuscripts. The journal has always had high standards for figure presentation. However, recent years have seen dramatic improvement in the print quality of photographic reproduction, something particularly crucial in specimen-based palaeontology, and a testament to these editors.

Besides the journal, the society publishes Field Guide Books, Monographs, Atlases, Special Publications, Catalogues, Conference Abstracts and Miscellaneous Publications. During all these years, the PSI has organised field workshops and brought out five field guide books: Terminal Proterozoic & Lower Cambrian in India, Dehradun (1994); Lameta & Bagh Beds, Central India (1999); International Field Workshop on the Vindhyan Basin, Central India (2002); Vindhyan Basin, Son Valley Area, Central India (2010); Vindhyan Basin, Son Valley Area, Central India (2012) and Post-collisional Palaeogene Tectono-Sedimentary Framework of the Ladakh For-Arc Basin (2014).

Three publications were released under the Monograph Series: (a) Supplement to a monograph of the Terebratulidae of the British Chalk (1958); (b) On Indobrachyops panchetensis gen. et sp. nov. from the upper Panchet (Lower Trias) of the Raniganj coalfield (1958); (c) Lower Tertiary vertebrates from Western India (1975). Later, authors did not prefer the long monographs. PSI halted the publication of the monograph series for want of manuscripts.

The Special Publication Series of the PSI is popular among researchers in India and overseas. So far, it has published six comprehensive books: Cenozoic stratigraphy and palynology in India (1980); Himalayan Orogen-Foreland Interaction (2005); The Flight: Boris S. Sokolov (2013); Himalayan Fossil Fraud (2013); Indian Miocene: a geodynamic and chronologic framework for palaeobiota, sedimentary environments and palaeoclimates (2014); and The Kachchh Rift Basin of western India: Jurassic lithostratigraphy revisited (2023). Atlases encompassing a single group/form/subject were an integral part of the palaeontological research worldwide. PSI also entertained the publication of an Atlas (Atlas of the Middle Jurassic Ostracods from Western India, 2009). Occasionally, the Conference Abstracts of the conferences organised by the PSI were also published. So far, two such publications have been released in 1997 and 1999.

JPSI operated under a subscription-based publishing model until 2022. However, the revenue generated by sale proceeds and expenditure on printing were not commensurate. Later, under an agreement with SAGE publishers, it transitioned to an open-access model under a Creative Commons License, ensuring all published content is freely available to readers worldwide without a subscription. Since April 2022, JPI has been an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality articles on all aspects of palaeontology and stratigraphy. Today, it is included in the following abstracting and indexing databases: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and Scopus.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

The Institution of Awards and Memorial Lectures helps recognise the discipline’s talent. It needs financial contributions from academicians, philanthropists, family and friends. Till the establishment of the PSI, there were no recognitions for the significant achievements in the discipline of palaeontology in India. This was mainly because prior palaeontological studies were conducted under the GSI domain. PSI has been closely associated with the Russian palaeontologists, and it is a coincidence that it has brought out publications honouring two Great Academicians, Professor Dr Yuri Alexandrovich Orlov (JPSI vol. 20, 1977) and Professor Boris S. Sokolov (Special Publication, 2013). Tata Sons is one of India’s most prominent philanthropists. It is believed that the Tata Trust contributed to the award in the name of Sir Dorab Tata. On Christmas Eve in 1959, Professor Dr Yuri Alexandrovich Orlov was conferred the First Sir Dorab Tata Memorial Gold Medal of the Palaeontological Society of India (Figure 3). On behalf of the PSI, this medal was given by Mr K. P. S. Menon, the Indian Ambassador to the USSR in Moscow. Unfortunately, it was never repeated in the following years. The reasons for discontinuing the medal are also not known.

Figure 3.

The Dorab Tata Gold Medal, the first gold medal of the Palaeontological Society of India, was conferred on the Academician Professor Dr Yuri Alexandrovich Orlov, the Director of the Palaeontological Institute, Moscow, and an honorary fellow of the PSI and palaeontologist of the erstwhile USSR. (Photo courtesy JPSI vol. 20).

In later years, nine other awards/ medals were established. In memory of its founder, and first President, a Medal was instituted in the name of Professor M. R. Sahni in 1984. Since then, it has been continuously awarded. There are three awards in the field of micropalaeontology. Students of Professor S. N. Bhalla established an award in 2003 in his name. Since then, it has been given every alternate year to an eminent micropalaeontologist of the country. In 2009, a Fellow of the Society, Dr Anil Chandra, provided funds for establishing the ‘Sharda Chandra Gold Medal’ to be awarded to a palaeobotanist/palaeontologist for an outstanding publication on Indian material. Another medal named ‘Shri Mani Shanker Shukla Gold Medal’ was established by Shri Sudhir Shukla in 2010 and is to be awarded to an individual whose contribution is adjudged best in Micropalaeontology on the Indian Fossil Material. PSI established an award in the name of Professor S. K. Singh, the journal’s Chief Editor. The award is given (annually) to the best research article published in the Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India in the immediate past year. PSI established another Award in the memory of Late Professor R. C. Misra, founding member of the PSI. The Gold Medal is awarded to a person of eminence in the field of Geology for his/her lifetime achievement. Professor Misra’s family members provided funds for this award. The students of Dr Rajiv Nigam, the President of the society, instituted another medal in the field of micropalaeontology known as the Dr Rajiv Nigam Medal.

Professor S. K. Shah’s family members provided funds to establish ‘PSI-S. K. Shah Gold Medal Award’ for noteworthy contributions to Himalayan Palaeontology and Stratigraphy. Similarly, the family of the Late Mr. Prabhakar Vishwanath Dehadrai, an eminent oil-field geologist, instituted another award in his name. This medal will be given for significant scientific contributions in the oil, coal and energy sectors. These two awards are initiated in the Platinum Jubilee year of the Society.

MUSEUM

The PSI’s ambitious objective of establishing a palaeontological museum was a big challenge for a newly established society in 1950. Since efforts in this direction require considerable funding support, land and coordination among the central and state governments, the Departments of Mines, Culture, Forestry, Tourism, Revenue and Law. It is still a dream and a daunting task. However, through its fellows, PSI played a constructive role in establishing small-scale fossil museums, parks and monuments in different regions of India.

GSI has many museums at regional or circle levels and has also helped the state governments establish field museums. However, sadly, these museums could not attract the public at large. Fellows of the society, who were in active service of the GSI and other academic institutions, took a keen interest in developing some field museums and fossil parks, such as: National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai; National Fossil Wood Park, Sattanur in Perambalur; Siwalik Fossil Park, Suketi in Sirmaur; Jhamarkotra Stromatolites Park in Udaipur; Akal Wood Fossil Park in Jaisalmer; Ghughua Fossil Park in Shahpura; Mandla Plant Fossils National Park; Salkhan Stromatolites Fossil Park in Sonbhadra; Wadadam Dinosaur Fossil Park in Sironcha; Raiyoli (or Rahioli) Dinosaur Fossil Park in Mahisagar (erstwhile Kheda); Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park in Gandhi Nagar are a few prominent ones. The organisation of an international field workshop by PSI in 1999 gave extra impetus to develop the Raiyoli Fossil Park. However, all these fossil parks require modern, visitor-friendly displays, amenities, imagination and dedicated curatorial and field staff to attract students, researchers and the public to visit these sites.

Besides these fossil parks, several universities, institutions and individuals have organised small museums. A few are noteworthy, such as those at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Indian Statistical Institute, Jammu University, Nagpur University, Panjab University, Lucknow University, Delhi University, Indian Museum, NHM in Chandigarh, ONGC Museum Dehradun and Birla Science Museum, Kolkata.

A few individuals have made efforts to develop fossil museums. While individual efforts are praiseworthy, the lack of curatorial expertise and museology training impedes their proper development. Recent efforts in this direction led to establishing the Tethys Fossil Museum, Kasauli and the India Seashell Museum, Chennai. Members and fellows of PSI provided intellectual input and strengthened these museums.

Recently, the GSI Geoscience Museum was opened in Gwalior. It has a vast collection of minerals and fossils and is hoped to attract a large footfall. To date, the country lacks a formal, world-class natural history museum of the likes of NHM, London or AMNH, New York. To address this gap, establishing a museum known as THE INDIAN MUSEUM OF EARTH is envisioned. Critical meetings and exercises have been conducted. This exercise was supported by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Prasad and coworkers discuss a blueprint of the proposed museum in this volume (Prasad et al., 2025). Hopefully, India will soon have this museum to showcase its fossil treasure, both scientific and outreach perspectives, and thus, the dream of the founders of PSI will be realised.

FINANCES

In 1950, several geology students of the country, well-wishers and the Assam Oil Company donated ₹4775.00, which made the PSI’s first corpus. Though the sum appears to be insignificant, it was sufficient to initiate the society’s activities. Since then, the PSI has continuously received financial assistance from several institutions and government agencies in India to manage its affairs. From time to time, individuals have also donated funds to society. Individual researchers and students supported the society through participation fees in organisations of international conferences and field workshops. Partial funds were raised through the sale proceeds and royalties of the publications until 2022. The overhead components of the organisation of several IGCP programmes helped contribute to the society’s funds. The Society is also registered with NITI Aayog and ANRF, Government of India, to receive and administer grants, donations and charities under India’s Income Tax Act 1961.

CHALLENGES

Of all sciences, palaeontology is potentially the most appealing to our citizens, because it tells vivid visual stories of how Planet Earth and its inhabitants have changed through time. The subcontinent’s unique and extraordinary tectonic voyage has produced some of the most dramatic landscapes and life forms on this planet. Major groups of animals and plants now known the world over evolved on the subcontinent during its journey. Thus, it provides a unique opportunity for the public to engage with the natural world, especially for persons living in rural settings where rock outcrops and fossils are commonly familiar. Accordingly, the potential importance of our science to the nation’s understanding of its heritage is enormous. On the other hand, the world over, palaeontological research, as a discipline, is finding it hard to obtain the financial support it needs to endure. Nowadays, very few students wish to continue research in palaeontology after completing a Master’s degree in earth sciences, because their absorption in industry or academia with a doctoral degree in palaeontology and future career security is a big challenge. This limitation has been discussed time and again (Sharma, 2002). The availability of funds, scholarships and fellowships to pursue the discipline is still a bigger challenge. The enrolment of new members in the palaeontological societies is dwindling. Declining government support for basic sciences and fewer fellowships in palaeontology result in less revenue for operational activities of not-for-profit societies.

Most scientific societies in the world, like PSI, were receiving more than 50% of their revenue from the sale proceeds of the publications. However, since 2000, aggressive marketing by commercial publishing houses and their efforts to bring more and more scientific societies under their umbrella have worsened the financial situation of scholarly societies. Reduced library budgets have impacted revenue generation through the sale proceeds of the journal subscription. The new trend of Open-Access publication has threatened the flow of funds to the Society. Most societies believe that the revenue sharing between the society and commercial publishers is somewhat unfavourable (Brainard, 2025) and skewed. Most of us are unsure how this transition from society publication to open-access commercial publication will unfold in the years to come. Funding agencies have significantly reduced overhead expenses, allowing for operating the research projects/meetings/and workshops. The pace of developmental activities is unidirectional, which cannot be changed, and some of them are destroying several crucial stratigraphic sections and long-established palaeontological sites are obliterated forever. The irreparable loss can be stopped by raising one’s voice. The collection of fossil material and the conservation of fossil-bearing sites is another challenge due to restrictions imposed by the legislation of different governmental agencies. Unrestricted access to fossil localities and the collection of fossil material for scientific research purposes must be allowed, and the restrictions imposed by different governmental agencies through legislation must not interfere with scientific progress.

EPILOGUE

As a scholarly society, the PSI has to play a proactive role in redefining the palaeontological studies in the country and raising a voice for enhancing financial support to pursue palaeontological studies. Finding out the ways, means and the agency to conserve the Geological Heritage is a primary responsibility of all the fellow palaeontologists. It is a matter of satisfaction that PSI is completing 75 years of existence. Successive Executive Councils of the PSI, headed by Professors M. R. Sahni, B. S. Tewari, Ashok Sahni and M. P. Singh, could keep the society on the path shown to us, adhering to the founders’ vision. As a torch bearer, the PSI must now adopt new communication tools such as e-books, podcasts, short films and lectures on the palaeontological treasure of the country at a pace that will allow it to remain relevant in society. Palaeontology’s main aim is to decipher life’s evolution on Earth, how life resurrected after catastrophic events, and how life and Earth’s dynamic processes interact. New niches regarding the advent of life are yet to be documented, and many chapters of life remain to be unfolded. Periods and pathways of migration of life forms are to be traced.