National Geoscience Awards 2023: Honoring Excellence in Earth Sciences

President Droupadi Murmu presided over a distinguished ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi to confer the prestigious 2023 National Geoscience Awards to outstanding individuals and teams in the field of geosciences. The highlight of the event was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Prof. Dhiraj Mohan Banerjee, Emeritus Scientist at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA).

History and Significance of the National Geoscience Award

Origins and Evolution

The National Geoscience Award has a rich history dating back to 1966 when it was initially established as the National Minerals Award by the Union Ministry of Mines. In 2009, recognizing the broader scope of earth sciences, the award was renamed the National Geoscience Award. This change reflected a more comprehensive approach to honoring contributions across various disciplines within geosciences.

Prestige and Recognition

Over the decades, the National Geoscience Award has cemented its position as one of the oldest and most prestigious accolades in the field of geosciences in India. It serves as a benchmark for excellence and innovation in earth sciences research and application.

Award Categories and Criteria

The National Geoscience Awards are presented annually in three distinct categories:

1. National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement: Recognizing sustained, outstanding contributions to the field over an entire career.
2. National Young Geoscientist Award: Honoring promising early-career scientists who have demonstrated exceptional potential and achievement.
3. National Geoscience Award: Acknowledging significant contributions in various specialized areas of geosciences.

These awards aim to honor individuals and teams for their remarkable achievements in:

• Mineral discovery and exploration
• Mining technology and mineral beneficiation
• Fundamental and applied geosciences

2023 National Geoscience Award Winners

Lifetime Achievement

The pinnacle of recognition in this field, the National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement 2023, was bestowed upon Professor Dhiraj Mohan Banerjee, Emeritus Scientist at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA). This award celebrates Prof. Banerjee’s long-standing contributions and leadership in geosciences.

Young Geoscientist Award

Dr. Ashutosh Pandey, Assistant Professor at Pondicherry University, was honored with the National Young Geoscientist Award 2023, recognizing his exceptional early-career achievements and potential for future contributions to the field.

National Geoscience Awards

Category: Mineral Discovery and Exploration

Two team awards were presented in this category:

A Geological Survey of India team comprising:

• Abhishek Kumar Shukla, Senior Geologist
• Smt. Danira Stephen D’silva, Senior Geologist
• Parsuram Behera, Director
• Dr. M.N. Parveen, Director

Another Geological Survey of India team including:

• Sanjay Singh, Director
• Shailendra Kumar Prajapati, Senior Geologist
• Shashank Shekhar Singh, Geologist
• Kevinguzo Chasie, Geologist

An individual award in this category was presented to Dr. Pawan Dewangan, Senior Principal Scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa.

Category: Mining, Mineral Beneficiation and Sustainable Mineral Development

Two distinguished individuals were recognized in this category:

• Dr. Harsh Kumar Verma, Senior Principal Scientist, Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Bilaspur
• Prof. Mangadoddy Narasimha, Mineral Processing & Multi-Phase Flow lab, IIT Hyderabad

Category: Basic Geosciences

Dr. Rahul Mohan, Scientist at the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa, received an individual award in this category.

A team award was also presented to a Geological Survey of India team comprising:

• Krishna Kumar, Superintending Geologist
• Dr. Pragya Pandey, Geologist
• Ms. Triparna Ghosh, Geologist
• Mr. Debasish Bhattacharya, Dy. Director General

Category: Applied Geoscience

Three individual awards were conferred in this category:

• Dr. Vikram Vishal, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, IIT Bombay
• Dr. Bantu Prasanta Kumar Patro, Chief Principal Scientist, CSIR, National Geophysical Research
• Prof. Srimath Tirumala Gudemella Raghu Kanth, IIT Madras

Dr. Jitendra Singh: Distinguished Mentor of the Year

In a separate but related development, Dr. Jitendra Singh was honored with the prestigious “Distinguished Mentor of the Year” award by the American College of Physicians. The award was presented during the 9th Annual Conference of the ACP India Chapter in Lucknow.

About Dr. Jitendra Singh

Dr. Singh holds multiple significant positions in the Indian government:

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology
• Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences
• MoS PMO
• Department of Atomic Energy
• Department of Space
• Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

This recognition underscores Dr. Singh’s commitment to mentoring and fostering excellence in the medical and scientific communities, alongside his extensive governmental responsibilities.