President of India confers National Geoscience Awards- 2022
Dr. Om Narain Bhargava receives National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement
The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu has conferred the prestigious National Geoscience Awards- 2022 (NGA) of the Ministry of Mines in a glittering function organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre here yesterday. Minister of Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State for Coal, Mines & Railways Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve and senior functionaries of the Ministry of Mines, Geological Survey of India graced the occasion.
Twenty-two Geoscientists including working professionals and academicians from across the country received the awards grouped under three categories namely one National Geoscience Award for Life Time Achievement, one National Young Geoscientist Award and eight National Geoscience Awards in various fields of geosciences.
The National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement was conferred upon Dr Om Narain Bhargava, well known for his pioneering work in the Himalayas spanning over the last four decades. The National Young Geoscientist Award was presented to Dr. Amiya Kumar Samal, Assistant Professor of Banaras Hindu University who has made a significant contribution to understanding the variation of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) below different Archean cratons of the Indian shield.
Instituted in 1966, the National Geoscience Awards (NGA) is a symbol of recognition and appreciation for exceptional individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence, dedication and innovation in the realm of Geosciences. The awards are presented in the field of Mineral Discovery and Exploration, Basic Geosciences, Applied Geosciences and Mining, Mineral Beneficiation and Sustainable Mineral Development.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the field of Geoscience is very wide. It also includes the study of natural disasters like landslides, earthquakes, floods and tsunamis. These subjects are called Public Good Geosciences because they are useful in the protection of a large number of people.
The President said that mining is the primary sector of our economy. Mineral development has a vital contribution to the economic development of the country. During the last few years, many progressive changes have been brought to the mining sector by the government. These changes are enhancing the capacity and productivity of the mining sector.
The President said only that path of science and development proves correct which goes towards the welfare of humanity. That’s why the geoscientist community has to keep moving forward in the direction of human-centric mining. She appreciated Indian geoscientists for strengthening India’s economy by contributing in the efficient use of minerals.
The President said that nowadays special attention is being given to minerals like Rare Earth Elements, Platinum Group of Elements and Semiconducting Elements. Keeping in view the priority of environmental protection, the mining of some traditional minerals and their results are being analyzed from a new perspective. She appreciated the Ministry of Mines for acknowledging the contribution to the field of Sustainable Mineral Development in today’s awards. She was happy to note that for Sustainable Mineral Development, equal attention is being given to all three dimensions – economic, social and environmental.
Text of The President’s Address: https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2023/jul/doc2023724227801.pdf
In his address, Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi urged geoscientists to focus on the exploration of critical minerals for the strategic development of the country. Complementing the award winners, he said that Geoscientists need to use baseline data properly to find new minerals. The mining sector can play a crucial role in giving shape to New India, he added. Highlighting the steps being taken by the Ministry of Mines in the form of amendments to the existing laws, opening up the sector for private sector participation and other reforms in view of the anticipated growth of the Indian economy he stated that the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR) will be further amended.
Minister of State Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve also complimented the award winners and said that apart from contributing to the developmental requirements of the country, geoscientists play a crucial role in mitigating the sufferings from natural disasters.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary Ministry of Mines outlined the background of the awards instituted in 1966 by the Ministry of Mines. The awards have evolved since then with the inclusion of new domains of geoscience, he added.
Awardees for the National Geoscience Awards-2022
For the National Geoscience Awards- 2022, a total of 173 nominations were received. The number of valid nominations under the three award categories is 168. Out of the total 12 Awards, the AMA has finally selected 10 awards which include 4 individual awards, 3 team awards & 3 joint awards. The 04 individual award also includes the one award for National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement and another award for National Young Geoscientist Award. The details are as follows-
| S.N. | Category of Award | Number of Awards |
| 1. | National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement | 1 award |
| 2. | National Geoscience Awards | 8 award(3 Team Award + 3 Joint Award + 2 individual Awards= 20 awardees) |
| 3. | National Young Geoscientist Award | 1 award |
| Total | 10 Awards(22 Awardees) |
List of awardees for the National Geoscience Awards 2022 is as follows-
| NATIONAL GEOSCIENCE AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT – 2022 | |
| Dr. Om Narain BhargavaHonorary ProfessorDepartment of GeologyPanjab University, Chandigarh | |
| NATIONAL GEOSCIENCE AWARDS– 2022 | |
| SECTION- I – Mineral Discovery & Exploration | |
| Field (i): Mineral Discovery & Exploration (excluding fossil fuels) of economic and/or strategic importance and application of innovative techniques Geological Survey of India (GSI) team comprising ofSmt. Soubhagyalaxmi Sahoo, GeologistSmt. Swapnita Brahma, GeologistShri Yogeesha S. N., GeologistShri P. Rajesh Durai, DirectorGeological Survey of India (GSI) team comprising ofShri Jitendra Kumar, GeologistShri Ngazipmi Chahong, GeologistShri Bikash Kumar Acharya, Sr. GeologistShri Anindya Bhattacharya, Director | Team Award Team Award |
| Field (ii): Coal, Lignite and Coal Bed Methane Discovery & Exploration of economic and/or strategic importance and application of innovative techniques and Oil, Natural Gas, Shale Gas and Gas Hydrates Discovery & Exploration (including project development and planning leading to exploitation of resources and reservoir management) Geological Survey of India (GSI) team comprising ofDr. Satya Narayan Sethy, GeologistShri Nitin Narendra Raut, GeologistShri Rakesh Deepankar, Sr. Geologist Shri Sumit Jaiswal, Geologist | Team Award |
| SECTION- II – Mining, Mineral Beneficiation and Sustainable Mineral Development | |
| Field (iv) Mineral Beneficiation (including mineral processing, project development for utilization of low-grade ores & production of value-added mineral products and mineral economics) and Sustainable Mineral Development (including mine closure, project development, institutional development and capacity building) Shri Pankaj Kumar SatijaManaging Director,Tata Steel Mining LimitedNayapalli, Bhubaneswar, Odisha | Individual Award |
| SECTION- III – Basic Geosciences | |
| Field (vi): Applied Geology: Engineering Geology, Geothermal Energy, Seismotectonics, Geostatistics, Remote Sensing and Geo-Information System (including spatial data management applications and data integration); Groundwater Exploration (including project development, hydrogeological studies and management of groundwater resources; Geo-Environmental Studies relating to mining, urban, industrial, coastal and desert management, paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, medical geology, climate change and studies related to their impact on ecosystem. Joint Award to-Dr. Harish BahugunaDirector, Geological Survey of India, Jammu and Dr Keesari TirumaleshScientific Officer, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai | Individual Award Joint Award |
| SECTION- IV – Applied Geosciences | |
| Dr Amiya Kumar SamalAssistant ProfessorDepartment of GeologyBanaras Hindu University, Varanasi | Joint Award |
| Field (viii): Natural Hazard Investigations including scientific studies related to natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, floods and tsunamis. Joint Award to-Dr. Saibal Ghosh Deputy Director General, Geological Survey of India, Kolkata and Dr Vikram GuptaScientist – F, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun | Joint Award |
| NATIONAL YOUNG GEOSCIENTIST AWARD– 2022 | |
| Dr. Amiya Kumar SamalAssistant ProfessorDepartment of GeologyBanaras Hindu University, Varanasi | |
Citation Booklet : sendgb.com/uIHstavdMZe
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