INDIAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
(REGISTRATION No. 26 of 1964)
* Formation *
Circulating a letter signed by fifteen leading geophysicists of the country in the year 1963 formed the Indian Geophysical Union. The response to this was encouraging and about sixty geophysicists responded to this invitation. These geophysicists who enrolled themselves as Members of the Union were styled as Foundation Fellows.
The Indian Geophysical Union was formally inaugurated by Prof.Humayun Kabir, the then Minister for Cultural Affairs and Scientific Research in the year 1963, at a pleasant function organized in the Geology Department, Osmania University. Dr.D.S.Reddy, the then Vice-Chancellor, Osmania University, presided over the function, Dr.S.Bhagavantam, the then Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister welcomed the guests. Dr.K.R.Ramanathan, first President of the Union, delivered the Presidential address. Dr.M.S.Krishnan explained the aims and objectives of the Union and presented the draft constitution, which was revised in 1964.
Dr.K.R.Ramanathan, Director, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad and a past President of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, was unanimously elected as President of the Union. The first Executive Council was also formed with Dr. K.R.Ramanathan, Dr. M.S.Krishnan, Dr. S.Bhagavantam, Dr. P.K.Bhattacharya, Sri L.N.Kailasam, Dr.Hari Narain, Sri M.B.Ramachandra Rao, and Dr.B.S.R. Rao and Dr.S.Balakrishna. The Union thus blessed by eminent geophysicists of India has made good impetus with the active encouragement given by the Vice-Chancellor of the Osmania University, Dr.D.S.Reddy and P.V.G.Raju the then Minister for Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
The Union adopted its constitution framed by a Sub-Committee consisting of Dr.M.S.Krishnan, Dr. K.R.Ramanathan and Dr.S.Balakrishna and the Union was registered on 11th March 1964.
The aims and objectives of the Union are:
- To bring together all geophysicists active in various disciplines such as seismology, magnetism, meteorology, geodesy, volcanology, oceanography, hydrology and tectonophysics and to provide them with opportunities for meeting and discussing current problems of geophysics of solid earth and the oceans.
- To encourage the study of and research in geophysical problems and to provide media for publication of the results.
- To organize and arrange for the meetings and conferences of the Union and encourage the publication and dissemination of knowledge of geophysics and of important researches in various branches of geophysics.
- To cooperate with similar learned societies in organizing and taking part in meetings, symposia, research projects, etc, and to represent geophysics both in the national and international sphere.
- To secure and administer funds, grants and endowments for the furtherance of and research in geophysics.
- To undertake and execute all other acts which shall assist and promote the usefulness, aims and purposes of the Union.