The Institute of Seismological Research - A Premier Research Center for Seismology in India

Abstract

The tragedy caused by the January 26, 2001 Mw 7.8
earthquake marked a turning point in the disaster
awareness and preparedness in the state of Gujarat,
northwest India. This earthquake took the lives of
14,000 people, injured almost 170,000 or more,
damaged 1.2 million houses and destroyed thousands
of classrooms and numerous other essential facilities.
The state of Gujarat has been aggressive in it’s
reconstruction program and made immense progress
within a short time span of the disaster. In view of the
large scale development envisaged across the state,
an acute need for an institute fully dedicated to
seismological research was perceived to enable
sustaining accelerated development. To fulfil this
requirement, the Government of Gujarat approved the
establishment of the Institute of Seismological
Research (ISR) in the year 2003. Subsequently, the
Department of Science and Technology (DST-GoG)
with funding from the World Bank and Gujarat State
Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA)
established ISR as a centre of excellence in modern
seismological research in 2006. The ISR is unique in
India being the only institute fully dedicated to
Earthquake Studies.