Get set for Geology

For students with a degree in geology the government sector offers a sizeable number of job opportunities The Geological Survey of India and the Central Ground Water Board select geologists through an examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission UPSCThe job seekers have to clear the qualifying examination for different posts

Updated At : 02:44 PM Oct 30, 2019 IST

Gauri Chhabra

For students with a degree in geology, the government sector offers a sizeable number of job opportunities. The Geological Survey of India and the Central Ground Water Board select geologists through an examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).The job seekers have to clear the qualifying examination for different posts.

The exam helps in appointing geoscientists in the fields of mineral deposits, energy resources, aquifers for exploration, preservation, management of resources of the nation.

Selected candidates are placed as geoscientists, hydrogeologists, geophysicist, and geochemists. These scientists are appointed as class one officers in Geological Survey of India, Central Ground Water Board etc.

UPSC will hold the Combined Geo-Scientist (Preliminary) Examination 2020 (Computer Based Test) on January 19, 2020 for selection to the Combined Geo-Scientist (Main) Examination 2020, in accordance with the rules published by the Ministry of Mines in the Gazette of India dated September 25, 2019.

UPSC Recruitment

Category I (Post in the Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines)

Geologist, Group A: 79 Posts
Geophysicist, Group A:

05 Posts

Chemistry Group A:

15 Posts

Category II (Posts in the Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources)

1.Junior Hydrogeologists (Scientist B), Group A: 03 Posts

Eligibility and Age limit

A candidate must be either (a) a Citizen of India, or (b) a subject of Nepal, or (c) a subject of Bhutan, or (d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 01st Jan 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India or (e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or from Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) above shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Govt. of India.

The candidate must have attained the age of 21 years at the time of applying for different posts.

Educational qualifications

For Geologists Gr 'A' in Geological Survey of India: Master’s degree in geological science or geology or geo-exploration or mineral exploration or engineering geology or marine geology or earth science and resource management or oceanography and coastal areas studies or petroleum geosciences or petroleum exploration or geochemistry or geological technology from a recognised university.
For Geophysicists Gr. 'A' in Geological Survey of India: MSc in physics or applied physics or MSc (geophysics) or Integrated MSc (Exploration Geophysics) or MSc (applied geophysics) or MSc (marine geophysics) or MSc (Tech) (applied geophysics) from a recognised university.
For Chemists Gr 'A' in Geological Survey of India: MSc in chemistry or applied chemistry or analytical chemistry from a recognised university.
For Junior Hydrogeologists (Scientist-B) Group 'A' in Central Ground Water Board: Master’s degree in geology or applied geology or marine geology or master’s degree in Hydrogeology from a recognised university.

Other employment avenues

Geologists work in the private sector as consultants. They are involved in exploration and survey
Geologists are recruited with companies such as Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Coal India, Mineral Exploration Ltd. Oil and Natural Gas Commission
ONGC holds an annual written examination in two parts. The papers are in General Studies, English and Geology. This is followed by an interview. The selection is based on vacancies.
Oil India Limited is involved in oil exploration. The Mineral Oil Exploration Corporation Limited interviews academically bright candidates for placement
Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (HZL) and Coal India Ltd. offer jobs after a written examination of two papers followed by interview
The Atomic Mineral Division at Hyderabad functions under the ministry of Atomic Energy. The recruitment examination is exclusively in geology and has an objective paper and a test of practical knowledge. Selected candidates have to take an interview. The National Geophysical Research Institute at Hyderabad and the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa select geologists with specialisation with a doctorate qualification. Similar openings are in Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Dehradun
In Research geologists work as research associates with institutions like the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the department of Science and Technology. These institutions also recruit geologists as scientific officers
Doctorates are preferred for these posts. Many students take up research studies and are aided financially in this by the examination conducted by CSIR. This a shared fellowship scheme granted under this examination by CSIR and UGC. The fellowship is tenable for 4-5 years

Preparation tips

Writing skills are something that candidates need to focus upon to ace this test. Candidates should make it a habit to write essays on various topics regularly to hone their skill.
Reading books and articles should also be a regular routine especially for those whose English proficiency is not that good.
Be thorough in your area of specialisation (Geology and/ or hydrogeology) and keep updating your knowledge as this will help you sail through the personal interview too.
Make micro notes as these come in handy at the last minute revision practice.
Solve previous years’ question papers, use diagrams and pictorial formats for better retention.

Sample Questions for Geo-scientists’ Exam

1. Describe the following in brief with diagrams wherever necessary: 5x10=50

(a) Measurement of strain from deformed conglomerates

(b) Ductile shear

(d) Assemblage zone

(e) Pandyan Mobile Belt

(f) Glossopteris flora

(g) Upper Siwalik fauna from India

(h) Chemical denudation

(i) Continental growth

6) Low-velocity zone in the mantle

SECTION-B

Attempt any one question

2. (a) Describe with sketches, the drainage pattern associated with faulted and folded regions. Give two examples of anomalous drainage indicative of Neotectonism.

(b) Describe the landforms produced by glacial and fluvial actions with examples from India.

3. (a) Enumerate the salient features of aerial photographs and remote sensing imagery.

(b) Illustrate the principle of using remote sensing in mineral exploration.

Reference

Applied Geophysics by telford et al.

2. Introduction to Geophysics by Lowrie

3. Solid earth Geophysics by CMR Fowler

4. Whole earth Geophysics by Lyllie

5. Introduction to Geophysical exploration by kearey et al.

6. Introduction to well log analysis by Asquith

7. Introduction to Seismology by stein and Wysession

Exam pattern

Under the new pattern from 2020, the exam will be of three stages:

Stage-I Preliminary Examination

Stage-II Main Examination

Stage-III Personality Test

The question paper will be a subjective or written exam. For all the posts there are three question papers of 200 marks each.

For the Jr. Hydrogeologist candidates required the qualify the 2 papers of geology and 1 paper of hydrogeology.

Prelims

The examination, of two hours duration has one common paper and the other stream specific paper. There are 3 streams namely Geologist and Junior Hydrogeologist, Geophysicist and that of Chemist. For all 3 streams, Paper I is of General Studies (100 marks)

Paper 2 is stream specific like geology/ hydrogeology (300 marks), geophysics (300 marks); and chemistry (300 marks) respectively.

Marks secured in this exam are counted for deciding the final merit. It is a computer-based examination.

After qualifying the written exam, candidates have to appear in the interview/Personality test . This is also of 200 marks.

Main Examination

The examination is of three hours duration. There are 3 papers in each stream carrying 200 marks each.

Marks secured in this examination are counted for

deciding the final merit.

PENALTY FOR WRONG ANSWERS

There is negative marking)

for wrong answers marked

by a candidate in the Objective

Type Question Papers.

Dateline UPSC Geologist Exam Important Dates

n Pre Exam Date January 19, 2020

n Pre Admit Card Available January 2020

n Main Examination June 27 and 28, 2020

n Duration of Examination Three Days

Physical standards

Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to the Exam 2020 as per Regulations are given in Appendix-II of the rules for the Combined Geoscientist Exam 2020 in Gazette of India dated September 25, 2019

Posts on offer 2020

Category-I (Posts in the Geological Survey of India, Ministry ofMines).

(i) Geologist, Group A: 79

(ii) G e o p h y s i c i s t, G r o u p A : 05

(iii) Chemist. Group A : 15

Category-II (Posts in the Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources)

(i) Junior Hydrogeologists (Scientist B), Group A: 03