IIT JAM Geology 2026

For the past two decades, the Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM) has been a standard-bearer for undergraduate science education in the country. This esteemed exam opens doors to premier postgraduate programs, reinforcing science as an exceptional career path across the nation. Our programs provide world-class education in diverse disciplines, aiming to foster academic excellence and a rewarding professional future.

What does JAM provide?

JAM is more than just an exam—it’s a portal to prestigious institutes that offer top-tier postgraduate education. The interdisciplinary curriculum equips students with the ability to apply scientific knowledge to real-world challenges. These opportunities are available to all eligible candidates, regardless of nationality, with English as the medium of instruction.

With a JAM score, you can pursue various advanced degrees, including:

• M.Sc.
• M.Sc. (Tech.)
• MS (Research)
• M.Sc. – M.Tech. Dual Degree
• Joint M.Sc. – Ph.D.
• M.Sc. – Ph.D. Dual Degree

How Admissions Work

Admissions through JAM in the current year are categorized into:

• Admitting Institutes: Coordinated by the JAM Organizing Institute of the current year.
• Result Sharing Institutes: Candidates must directly contact these institutes after qualifying.

The JAM Organizing Institute of the current year will handle the admission process for only the Admitting Institutes, and candidates can apply for admission after qualifying the JAM exam. For admissions to Result Sharing Institutes, qualifying candidates must approach the respective Institute or admission body directly.

Admission Criteria

• All India Rank (AIR): Admission is based on the AIR in each test paper, reservation policies (as per the Government of India), and seat availability.
• Foreign Nationals: Must adhere to the regulations set by the respective Admitting Institute.
• Eligibility: Candidates who have either completed or are set to appear for their final qualifying degree examination in the current year are eligible to appear for JAM. Upon qualifying, candidates can apply for admission, subject to the following conditions:
  • All parts of their undergraduate program must be completed before the admission date of the respective Admitting Institute.
  • Proof of having passed the qualifying degree with the required eligibility, as defined by the Admitting Institute, must be submitted within the timeline set by the respective institute.

The list of academic programs, number of seats, eligibility requirements (ERs), and minimum educational qualifications (MEQs) for each program mentioned in the Information Brochure are subject to change according to the policies of the Admitting Institutes.

In all matters related to JAM, the decision of the Organizing Institute of the current year will be final and binding on all applicants.

The Planet Earth: Origin of the Solar System and the Earth; Geosphere and the composition of the Earth; Shape and size of the Earth; Earth-Moon system; Dating rocks and age of the Earth; Volcanism and volcanic landforms; Interior of the Earth; Earthquakes; Earth’s magnetism and gravity, Isostasy; Basic elements of Plate Tectonics; Orogenic cycles.

Geomorphology: Weathering and erosion; Soil formation; Transportation and deposition by wind, ice, river, sea and resulting landforms.

Structural Geology: Orientation of planes and lines in space – concept of dip, strike, rake and plunge. Contour lines; Rule of ‘V’s and outcrop patterns; Interpretation of geological maps and cross-section construction; Classification and origin of folds, faults, joints, unconformities, foliations and lineations; Stereographic and equal-area projections of planes and lines; Numerical problems related to outcrop and bore-hole data.

Paleontology: Major steps in the evolution of life forms; Fossils, their mode of preservation and utility in age determination and paleoenvironmental interpretations; Morphology, major evolutionary trends and ages of important groups of animals – Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Trilobita, Graptolitoidea, Anthozoa, Echinodermata; Gondwana plant fossils; Elementary idea of vertebrate fossils in India.

Stratigraphy: Principles of stratigraphy; Litho-, Chrono- and biostratigraphic classification; Stratigraphic correlation techniques; Archaean cratons of Peninsular India (Dharwar, Singhbhum and Aravalli); Proterozoic mobile belts; Stratigraphy of Cuddapah and Vindhyan basins; Stratigraphy of Paleozoic – Mesozoic of Spiti and Kashmir, Gondwana Supergroup, Jurassic of Kutch, Cretaceous of Trichinopoly, Tertiary and Quaternary sequences of Assam, Bengal and Siwaliks.

Mineralogy: Symmetry and forms in common crystal classes; Physical properties of minerals; Isomorphism, polymorphism, solid solution and exsolution; Classification of minerals; Structure of silicates; Mineralogy of common rock-forming minerals; Elements of Optical Mineralogy, Optical properties of common rock forming minerals.

Petrology: Definition and classification of rocks;

Igneous rocks – forms of igneous bodies; Processes of evolution and diversification of magma; Classification, association, and genesis of common igneous rocks.

Sedimentary rocks – classification, texture, and structure; Petrology of sandstone and limestone; Elements of sedimentary environments and facies.

Metamorphic rocks
classification and texture; Types of metamorphism; Controls on metamorphism – pressure, temperature and fluids; Concept of projections – ACF, AKF and AFM diagrams; Phase Rule and its applications; Concepts of zones and facies, Characteristic mineral assemblages of pelites in the Barrovian zones and mafic rocks in common facies.

Economic Geology: Physical properties of common economic minerals; General processes of formation of mineral deposits; Mode of occurrence and distribution of metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits in India; Fundamentals of reserve calculation; Elements of coal and hydrocarbon geology, Coal and hydrocarbon occurrences in India.

Applied Geology: Groundwater and hydrological cycle, Types of aquifers, porosity and permeability; Principles of engineering geology; Geological considerations in construction of dams and tunnels.