About the Society
The Palaeontological Society of India is one of the oldest, most active and premier scientific societies of India. The Society was established in the Department of Geology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow on 26th January, 1950 under the leadership of late Prof. M. R. Sahni, and other eminent palaeontologists of the country. It was registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 (XXI) in Lucknow on 12/08/1950.
Since then, the society has been instrumental not only in serving and knowledge dissemination in the field of palaeontology but also protecting and aiding the mutual interests of national and international palaeontologists. It has contributed by organizing field workshops, national and international conferences/meetings/workshops, and coursework(s). The Society is regularly publishing a journal of international repute `the Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India (JPSI)' in the ambit of palaeontology which was earlier published annually since 1956 and biannually since 2004; the journal is a peer reviewed Scopus indexed journal with impact factor of 0.9. The journal is online available and Open Access on the website of the SAGE. In addition, the Society has also published various edited special issues, atlases, field guide books, catalogues and monographs etc. The Society also organizes three lecture series annually, and bestows various awards for promising students, researchers as well as established geoscientists.
The year 2025 was its Platinum Jubilee Year. A conference titled Fossils as Earth's Timekeepers was organised to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of the Palaeontological Society of India (PSI) and the Diamond Jubilee of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) from 29 to 31 October 2025, at Goa. Jointly organised by PSI and CSIR-NIO, the event was a significant occasion for fostering collaborations and celebrating the historical contributions of both organisations to the study of Earth's geological history through fossils. The society's Platinum Jubilee brought together leading scientists, researchers, students, and industry professionals working in palaeontology, stratigraphy, and Earth Sciences. The conference provided a platform for the exchange of knowledge and the discussion of new advancements in these fields.
The Society is a Corporate Member of the International Palaeontological Association (IPA), and also a Member of the Federation of Indian Geosciences Association (FIGA).