President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Geoscience Awards-2022 at a ceremony in New Delhi this evening. The Award is instituted by the Ministry of Mines with the aim to honour individuals and teams for achievements and contributions in various fields of geosciences. Twenty-two geoscientists, including two women, were awarded today.
 
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. She said these subjects are called Public Good Geosciences because they are useful in the protection of a large number of people.
 
President Murmu said that mining is the primary sector of Indian economy and mineral development has a vital contribution in the economic development of the country. She added that during the last few years, many progressive changes have been brought in the mining sector by the government. These changes are enhancing the capacity and productivity of the mining sector.
 
The President urged the geoscientist community to keep moving forward in the direction of human-centric mining. She appreciated Indian geoscientists for strengthening India's economy by contributing to the efficient use of minerals. She said that special attention is being given now to minerals like Rare Earth Elements, Platinum Group of Elements, and Semiconducting Elements. Keeping in view the priority of environmental protection, 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.
 
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, who is Assistant Professor at Banaras Hindu University. He has made a significant contribution to understanding the variation of sub-continental lithospheric mantle below different Archean cratons of the Indian shield. Dr Samal spoke to Akashvani about his work.