Which one of the following is the oldest scientific department of Government of India?
- (a)Department of Biotechnology
- (b)Survey of India
- (c)India Meteorological Department
- (d)DRDO
Correct — B, Survey of India. Founded in 1767 under the East India Company, the Survey of India is the country's national mapping agency and its oldest scientific department. It predates the India Meteorological Department (1875), the DRDO (1958) and the Department of Biotechnology (1986) by many decades.
- (a)Department of Biotechnology — Set up in 1986, it is one of the youngest scientific departments of the Government of India, not the oldest.
- (c)India Meteorological Department — Established in 1875, the IMD is old but still more than a century younger than the Survey of India.
- (d)DRDO — The Defence Research and Development Organisation was formed in 1958, far more recent than the 1767 Survey of India.
The Survey of India, established in 1767, is the oldest scientific department of the Government of India. It is responsible for topographic mapping and the national geodetic framework, and its 19th-century Great Trigonometrical Survey measured the height of Mount Everest.
All four options are genuine scientific bodies, so the question really turns on age. Anchor to founding years: 1767 (Survey of India) comfortably beats 1875 (IMD), 1958 (DRDO) and 1986 (DBT).
- The Survey of India was founded in 1767 — the oldest scientific department of the Government of India.
- It is the national mapping and surveying agency, now under the Department of Science and Technology.
- The IMD was set up in 1875, the DRDO in 1958 and the Department of Biotechnology in 1986.
- The Great Trigonometrical Survey, run by the Survey of India, determined the height of Mount Everest.
- Confusing 'oldest' with 'best known' — many wrongly pick the DRDO or IMD.
- Mixing up the Survey of India with the Archaeological Survey of India.
Asked as 'which is the oldest' among government scientific bodies, testing recall of founding years.
Survey of India is under the Ministry of
- (a) Defence
- (b) Environment and Forests
- (c) Home Affairs
- (d) Science and Technology
Answer(d) Science and Technology
Directly about the same institution — its parent ministry (Science and Technology); this NDA item asks for its rank as the oldest scientific department.
Which one of the following organisations has completed 150 years of service to the nation in the year 2025?
- (a) Botanical Survey of India
- (b) Survey of India
- (c) India Meteorological Department
- (d) Press Trust of India
Answer(c) India Meteorological Department
Same family of old scientific organisations — the IMD marks 150 years (founded 1875), while the Survey of India (1767) is older still and is the oldest scientific department.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Survey of India functions under which Union Ministry?
- (a)Defence
- (b)Home Affairs
- (c)Science and Technology
- (d)Earth Sciences
Answer(c) Science and Technology — via the Department of Science and Technology.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The India Meteorological Department was established in the year
- (a)1767
- (b)1875
- (c)1947
- (d)1958
Answer(b) 1875 — old, but younger than the 1767 Survey of India.