Government presents National Mineral Awards 2007 to 17 achievers

New Delhi, Feb 13 (ANI): Seventeen geologists, engineers and technologists were honoured on Friday with the National Mineral Awards-2007.

The awards are given for outstanding contributions in the fields of mineral discovery and explorations, fundamental and applied geosciences and mining and allied disciplines.

Presenting the awards, Union Minister of Mines Sis Ram Ola called for additional capital investment in exploring concealed mineral deposits by using an environment friendly extraction technology.

He confessed that a more comprehensive resource inventory is the need of the hour for the nation.

Secretary in Ministry of Mines Shantanu Consul informed the gathering that the National Mineral Award Scheme covers sixteen earth science related fields with a total nineteen National Mineral Awards. So far, 550 geosciences and six geo-scientists have been given National Mineral Award.

He said that systematic and planned efforts in mineral exploration through the years have resulted in building up a strong mineral resource database.

Consul further declared that India ranks high position in the production of barytes, coal and lignite, iron ore, kyanite/sillimanite and talc/steatite/pyrophyllite, bauxite, manganese ore and steel (crude), and aluminum and copper (refined).

Minister of State for Mines B.K. Handique was also present on the occasion. (ANI)