ZSI Full Form

Edited By Team Careers360 | Updated on Jul 21, 2023 03:13 PM IST

What is the full form of ZSI?

The full form of ZSI is the Zoological Survey of India. It is the premier research organisation for zoological studies and research in India, and it is guided by the Government of India. Since its founding in 1916, it has worked to advance survey, exploration, and research to improve understanding of India's flora and fauna. According to Section 39 of the National Biodiversity Act of 2002, it has been recognised as a designated repository for the National Zoological Collection.

Zoological Survey of India

The Survey has grown into a significant National Institution and has so far built 16 Regional and Field Stations. It serves as the keeper of the National Zoological Collections, which are composed of more than a million identifiable specimens from every known animal order, from protozoa to mammals. The Survey conducts extensive and intensive fieldwork in various regions of the nation to study fauna, systematic zoology, animal ecology, wildlife and zoogeography, animal behaviour, animal population, and marine fauna. Regularly published fieldwork results from the survey are also in respected national and international periodicals.

History of ZSI

The history of ZSI begins with the days of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, founded by Sir William Jones on January 15, 1784. In addition to the Indian Museum (1875), the Asiatic Society of Bengal served as the parent organisation for organisations like the Zoological Survey of India and the Geological Survey of India. The founding of ZSI was a realisation of Sir William Jones's dream, who founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal and had a vision that included all of the human knowledge.
The Asiatic Society has been collecting geological and zoological specimens since 1796, and in 1814 it established a museum. Nathaniel Wallich, the first Superintendent of the "Museum of the Asiatic Society," oversaw the expanding collections of geological and zoological specimens, and he added animal collections to the Zoological Galleries of the Museum.
The Zoological Survey of India, which was eventually founded as an independent body on July 1, 1916, was inspired by the Asiatic Society Museum's Zoological Gallery, which Nathaniel Wallich was in charge of maintaining.
The Indian government took control of the ZSI, according to an excerpt from the "Constitution of the Zoological Survey of India," which was released by the Government of India, Department of Education, Shimla, on June 20, 1916.
The Zoological Survey of India was successfully established by Thomas Nelson Annandale, who joined the Indian Museum in 1904 as the deputy superintendent and rose to become the superintendent in 1907. After that, he was appointed the survey's first director, a position he held until his tragic passing in April 1924. Dr Annandale held the position of honorary secretary to the Trustees of the Indian Museum for several years. He also presided over the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1923.
Dr Dhriti Banerjee recently took on the role of ZSI's first female director since the institute's founding in 1916.

Objectives of ZSI

The ZSI has made substantial contributions to the knowledge and study of the nation's flora.

Its main goals are as follows:

to advance study, documentation, and inquiry into many facets of animal taxonomy in the Indian subcontinent. It also aims to increase our understanding of animal taxonomy.
Make a status analysis of the rare and endangered species.
Red Data Book, Indian Fauna, and State Fauna preparation
bio-ecological research on significant populations or species.
creation of a database for the nation's documented species.
upkeep and expansion of the national zoological collections.

Activities

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change's Conservation and Survey Division are in charge of managing ZSI initiative coordination.

The following are its functions:

The Red Data Book on Indian Animals is published by ZSI. It was initially released in 1983 and is comparable to the IUCN Red Data Book.
The flora and fauna of India, the fauna of states, and the fauna of conservation areas will all be published as results.
Training, capacity building, and the development of human resources
Research using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) on recorded animal diversity and endangered species.
It contributes to the creation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Centers and the Environmental Information System (ENVIS).
CITES is a multinational agreement to preserve threatened species of plants and animals.
Collaborates with other organisations in India and overseas to conduct research initiatives on "biodiversity."

Centres

Shillong, Meghalaya's North Eastern Regional Centre (NERC), was founded in 1959.
In Pune, Maharashtra, the Western Regional Centre (WRC) was established in 1959.
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (established in 1960), Central Zone Regional Centre (CZRC).
Desert Regional Centre (DRC), Jodhpur, Rajasthan (est. 1960).
Established in 1960, the Northern Regional Centre (NRC) is located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Southern Regional Centre (SRC) is located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (established in 1961).
Patna, Bihar's Gangetic Plains Regional Centre (GPRC), was founded in 1965.
In 1968, the High Altitude Regional Centre (HARC) was founded in Solan, Himachal Pradesh.
Madras, Tamil Nadu's Marine Biology Regional Centre (MBRC), was founded in 1973.
Regional Centre for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANRC), Port Blair (founded in 1977).
Hyderabad, Telangana's Freshwater Biology Regional Centre (FBRC), was founded in 1979.
Sunderbans Regional Centre (SRC), founded in 1979, is located in Canning, West Bengal.
Ganjam, Orissa's Estuarine Biology Regional Centre (EBRC), was founded in 1980.
Kozhikode, Kerala's Western Ghats Regional Centre (WGRC), was founded in 1980.
Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre (APRC), Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh (Established in 1983).
Marine Aquarium Cum Regional Centre (MARC), Digha, West Bengal (Established on 1989)