New Delhi: Smt Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, conferred the prestigious National Geoscience Awards-2024 during a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre on September 26, 2025. This distinguished event celebrated outstanding contributions to geoscience research, exploration, and innovation.
Significance of Minerals and Mining
The President underscored the vital role minerals have played throughout human civilization, noting that major periods such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age are named after key minerals. Minerals form the backbone of industrialization, providing essential raw materials like iron and coal that support economic development and create substantial employment.
Environmental Responsibility in Mining
While lauding the mining sector’s contributions, the President cautioned about the adverse impacts including displacement, deforestation, and pollution. She stressed strict adherence to regulatory norms during mining operations and reclamation processes post-mining to safeguard residents and biodiversity.
Marine Mineral Resources and Geosciences Role
Highlighting India’s geographic advantage of being surrounded by oceans, the President called upon geoscientists to develop cutting-edge technologies for responsibly harnessing mineral resources beneath the seafloor, ensuring ecological balance and sustainable development.
Sustainable Mineral Development and Technological Innovation
The President emphasized the importance of addressing geo-environmental sustainability related to mining, advocating for technologies that add value to mineral products and minimize waste. She appreciated efforts by the Ministry of Mines to incorporate AI, machine learning, and drone surveys, along with initiatives to recover valuable elements from mine tailings.
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and National Security
REEs, critical for modern technologies such as smartphones, electric vehicles, defense, and clean energy, were noted as strategic minerals of high importance. The President highlighted India’s imperative to become self-reliant in REE production through indigenous technology development, a key factor for national security and the vision of a developed India.
Conclusion: National Geoscience Awards
The National Geoscience Awards presentation not only honored eminent geoscientists but also reaffirmed India’s commitment to advancing sustainable mineral resource development, innovation in geosciences, and safeguarding ecological integrity while driving national progress.
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Source: PIB
