We need some 300 geologists

New Delhi Feb. 17

India is facing a shortage of geologists at a time when the Government has drawn up ambitious plans to introduce more reforms in the mining sector and attract large investments.

The manpower crunch is mainly attributed to the growing preference among students to opt for engineering courses that promise plum jobs in the services sector, such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Industry watchers estimate that the combined shortfall in public and private sectors could be as high as 600 geologists a year and growing.


"We need some 300 geologists a year, but the availability is less than 100," said Ms Shantha Sheela Nair, Secretary, Ministry of Mines. The Ministry is investing heavily in training programmes to upgrade the skills of existing manpower.

"We need educational institutions to produce geologists even to meet the current demand," Ms Nair said adding Indian geologists are in huge demand the world over.

Besides the private sector mineral and oil companies that employ geologists to map and explore resources, public entities such as the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the Indian Bureau of Mines, the Central Ground Water Board, Oil India Ltd and ONGC hire geologists in large numbers.

"It is not only geology. Students are not opting for even the basic science courses," said Mr Balachandran, Director of the Hyderabad-based GSI Training Institute (GSITI). "Several universities have even withdrawn the post-graduate courses for lack of demand," he said.

However, with the implementation of the New Mineral Policy (NMP), job prospects for geologists in the private sector are expected to improve, Mr Balachandran added.

The New Mineral Policy is expected to help attract large investments in the country's mining sector. A draft legislation to give effect to the NMP is likely to be placed in the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament.

Aware of the manpower shortage, the Government, in collaboration with CII, has commissioned ICRA Management and Consultancy Services (IMaCS) to conduct a study that is likely to be completed soon.

"It is not only in India, there is a world-wide shortage of geologists," said Mr R. K. Sharma, secretary-general of Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI). "With liberalisation and more investments coming in, people could find it difficult to operate," he said.