Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy Inaugurates GSI’s International Seminar in Jaipur, Marking 175 Years of Geoscientific Excellence

Union Minister of Coal & Mines G. Kishan Reddy today inaugurated the International Seminar on “Unearthing the Past, Shaping the Future: 175 Years of GSI” at the Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur. The event marks a major milestone in the 175th Foundation Year celebrations of the Geological Survey of India (GSI).

The inaugural session was graced by Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines; T. Ravikanth, Principal Secretary, Mines & Petroleum, Government of Rajasthan; Asit Saha, Director General, GSI; Vijay V. Mugal, ADG & HOD, GSI (Western Region); and several senior officials and global delegates.

A Global Platform for Geoscience Collaboration

The seminar brings together leading international geological survey organisations including:

• British Geological Survey (BGS)

• United States Geological Survey (USGS)

• Geoscience Australia

Eminent experts from premier geoscience institutions in India and abroad are participating in discussions on cutting-edge exploration technologies, critical minerals, geodynamics, climate resilience, digital geoscience innovations, and sustainable development.

Minister’s Address: A Vision for Future-Ready Geoscience

In his keynote address, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy lauded GSI’s 175-year contribution to India’s scientific, industrial, and strategic growth.

Emphasizing the need to strengthen India’s geoscience capabilities, he underlined:

• Expansion of critical mineral exploration

• Adoption of AI/ML-based geoscience technologies

• Enhanced disaster preparedness

• Alignment with the national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat@2047

He emphasized that modern geoscience will be pivotal in ensuring resource security and enabling sustainable development in the coming decades.

Strengthening India’s Mineral Ecosystem

Addressing the gathering, Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, highlighted the urgency of developing a mineral ecosystem that is:

• Sustainable

• Self-reliant

• Technologically advanced

• Globally competitive

He reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to capacity building, technological collaboration, and strengthening of institutions like GSI to meet India’s accelerating economic aspirations.

GSI’s Commitment to Future Geoscience Excellence

GSI Director General Asit Saha emphasized the organisation’s evolving mandate in the context of global geoscience challenges. He highlighted:

• The rapid evolution of geoscience technologies

• The rising strategic importance of critical minerals

• Need for concept-driven investigations

• Adoption of advanced subsurface imaging

• GSI’s role in public-good geoscience

Saha reaffirmed GSI’s dedication to accelerated exploration, deeper integrated research, and boosting India’s resource security for a sustainable future.

A major highlight of the event was the signing of MoUs between GSI and IIT Bombay & IIT Kharagpur, aimed at:

• Advancing frontier research

• Strengthening collaborative geoscience technologies

• Enhancing knowledge exchange and innovation capacity

Dignitaries also released the Abstract Volume, thematic maps, and major GSI publications on the occasion.

A Forward-Looking Scientific Dialogue

Day 1 of the seminar facilitated an in-depth review of GSI’s rich 175-year journey while steering discussions toward the future of geoscience.

The thematic sessions explored:

• Critical & strategic minerals

• Next-generation exploration technologies

• Geodynamics & earth processes

• Climate resilience & environmental solutions

• Digital & computational geoscience

• Sustainable development through geoscience

These discussions align with India’s long-term national vision for resource security, clean energy transition, and broader environmental resilience.