21 geoscientists honoured with National Geoscience Awards by President

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday conferred the National Geoscience Awards (NGA) for 2023 to 21 geoscientists, including academicians and professionals from across the country.

The awards, totalling 12, recognised outstanding achievements in geosciences, mineral exploration, and natural hazard investigations. The President emphasised the need for self-sufficiency in mineral production to achieve India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

The awardees were honoured in three categories: National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement, National Geoscience Award, and National Young Geoscientist Award.

Prof Dhiraj Mohan Banerjee received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering work on phosphorites, isotope geology, and organic geochemistry. Dr Ashutosh Pandey was awarded the National Young Geoscientist Award for his groundbreaking research on the geodynamic evolution of the Eastern Dharwar Craton.

The President also expressed confidence that the government's initiatives, including the National Geoscience Data Repository Portal and the use of emerging technologies, will help India understand its natural wealth better and utilise it properly.

While highlighting the importance of geoscience in nation-building, Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan said that the award is in line with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.

Reddy reiterated the government’s commitment to enhancing the mining sector through various reforms, including amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.

The amendments in the MMDR Act in 2023 have empowered the central government to auction 24 critical and strategic minerals. As of August 20, the Ministry of Mines has auctioned 14 such blocks so far.

He further added that to expedite exploration in the country, the Ministry of Mines has recently introduced the exploration licence for 29 deep-seated minerals. Reddy also highlighted the recent announcement in the 2024 Budget for setting up the Critical Mineral Mission, which is a significant step towards securing the supply chain of these essential minerals.

He emphasised the adoption of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning in mineral discovery and exploration.

V L Kantha Rao, secretary, Ministry of Mines, discussed the evolution of the National Geoscience Awards since their inception in 1966, noting the expansion of the awards to include new geoscience domains.