President Murmu Presents National Geoscience Awards 2024
President stresses sustainable mining, seabed resource development, and self-reliance in rare earth elements to secure India’s future.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 26th Sept: President Droupadi Murmu today conferred the National Geoscience Awards-2024 at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, lauding the vital role of minerals in human progress and urging sustainable mining practices.
Highlighting the historic link between minerals and civilization, the President said resources such as iron and coal powered industrialisation but mining also causes deforestation, pollution and displacement. She stressed strict adherence to regulations and responsible mine closures to protect people and wildlife.
Calling India’s oceans a vast source of untapped mineral wealth, Murmu urged geoscientists to develop technology to harness seabed resources without harming marine biodiversity. She welcomed the Mines Ministry’s push for AI, machine learning and drone-based surveys and for recovering valuable elements from mine tailings.
Rare Earth Elements (REEs), she noted, are central to modern technology from smartphones to clean energy. “India must become self-reliant in their production for national security and the goal of a developed India,” she said, emphasising the need to master the complex refining process through indigenous technology.
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