Minister of Communications Shri Manoj Sinha today said that Survey of India has has met the challenges of surveying the indomitable Himalaya, blazing deserts and animal infested jungles.The Department is continuously striving to keep abreast of modern technology and has successfully entered the era of Digital Mapping and Geographic Information Systems. Shri Sinha was speaking here after releasing a set of two commemorative postage stamps and a miniature sheet on “Survey of India” on the occasion of its 250th anniversary. He said that the Survey of India, fondly called ‘the Department’ by its members is built on solid foundations, strong traditions and deep roots, keeps striving to keep India among the best surveyed countries in the world, adopting the latest technologies to meet new challenges and always living up to its motto: A Setu Himachalam i.e. 'From Setu to the Himalaya' (covering entire India).
Shri Sinha said that the Department of Posts issues Commemorative postage stamps on Institutions that have a national or International stature or have made national/international contribution. He said that the origin of Survey of India can be traced back to Year 1767, when Major James Rennell was appointed as the Surveyor General of Bengal. It is the oldest scientific department in India and one of the oldest survey establishments in the world. Survey of India also has the distinct honour of printing the first Postage Stamp of India and the first copy of the Constitution of India. The Minister said that the officers and staff of the Survey of India have to pioneer untrodden lands for others to follow and build upon. They have to go to the deepest forests, deserts and the highest snowy mountains – in fact they are the first to reach virgin and uninhabited areas. There they ceaselessly, faithfully and unobtrusively toil to produce the maps so essential for development, defence and administration. The Survey of India acts as advisor to the Government of India on all survey matters, viz geodesy, photogrammetry, mapping and map reproduction.