AbstractThere has been a great and growing need in India for the establishment or improvement of a Cadastral System as a prerequisite for accelerated development. The measures, if any, that have been taken so far to fill this need are inadequate or have failed, mainly because of lack of insight into the complexity of the problem; frequently ad-hoc systems are being established to fulfil an urgent and for local need without any thought being given to future integration into a final national system, thus contributing to the often existing confusion, and to a waste of energy and money. The paper describes cadastral surveying practice in India from the earliest times to the present; analyses its slow growth and stagnation; recommends the use of multipurpose cadastre which would integrate title, engineering and other detailed surveys and, finally, warns that no gains are likely to be registered unless the Indian Universities and the Polytechnics are encouraged to set up survey degree and diploma courses respec...