Bhubaneswar: The 64th meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) convened, here on Sunday, was chaired by union mines secretary and chairman CGBP V.L. Kantha Rao. Asit Saha, Director General, GSI and Sanjay Lohiya, additional secretary, mines, were the other dignitaries gracing the occasion.
The event brought together key stakeholders from exploration, research, and mining sectors to discuss advancements in geosciences, mineral exploration strategies, and critical challenges. Key discussions focused on mineral resource augmentation, clean energy initiatives, geohazard management, and sustainable development, emphasizing. a collaborative approach to emerging priorities.
The proposed Annual Programme of GSI for ensuing Field Season year 2025-26 was placed before the Board for discussion. For the upcoming year 2025-26, GSI has formulated about 1065 scientific programs, which includes 402 Mineral Development projects (G2,G3;G4; and Offshore Explorations) that has the potential to generate auctionable mineral blocks in near future. 167 Mineral Discovery Projects (RMT; Research Project; C-MAP;GT; MPA; Multispectral/ Hyperspectral projects) having potential for generating promising areas for future exploration in G4 stage. Within the exploration activity, a significant focus has been placed on critical mineral exploration, with 227 dedicated projects targeting strategically important mineral commodities such as REE, RM, graphite, lithium, vanadium, and PGE, marking a 16% increase compared to the previous year. The field season programme of GSI for FS 2025-26 includes 25% of investigations on critical minerals, that entails out of the total budget of GSl, about 300 crores will be spent on critical mineral exploration and investigation.
In addition, GSI has outlined 141 projects under Natural Hazard Studies, Public Good Geoscience, and Fundamental Geoscience for 2025-26. These include projects on landslides, geotechnical studies, polar & glaciology research, climate change, and environmental studies, as well as initiatives in fundamental geoscience. This comprehensive approach reflects GSl’s commitment to disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, and scientific innovation
GSI has initiated 65 geoinformatics projects leveraging cutting-edge Al/ML modeling, legacy data integration, and the deployment of emerging technologies like Magnetotelluric & Heliborn survey to enhance exploration efficiency. A key highlight of the event was the announcement of the Mineral Hunt Techniques Hackathon winners, showcasing start-ups and unicorns employing Al/ML-driven prospectivity analysis to accelerate target,identification of mineral deposit discovery.
Furthermore, several publications, including on the Geology and Mineral Resources of Jharkhand and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and a Geology and Mineral Resource Map of the North Eastern Region were released
In his address at the 64th CGPB meeting, Shri V. L. Kantha Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Mines & Chairman, CGPB, emphasized the platform’s vital role in fostering collaboration and advancing geosciences. He outlined key initiatives by the Ministry of Mines, aligned with two signific ant recent budgetary announcements, on Critical Mineral Mission and Offshore Mining
Shri Rao highlighted the successful auctioning of 24 critical mineral blocks so far in the year 2024-25 and launch of India’s first-ever auction of 13 offshore mineral blocks. He encouraged exploration agencies to utilize NMET funding to enhance mineral exploration efforts & execution of R&D projects. Shri Rao also stressed the utilization of legacy geological data available in the NGDR portal and underscored new initiatives to issue more exploration licenses, enabling private agencies to contribute to the mineral exploration landscape
In the technical session of the meeting, the Hackathon winners–namely, the first prize- winning team AMD, the second prize-winning team GSI, and the third prize-winning team IIT-ISM, Dhanbad, presented their algorithms and methodologies for targeting critical minerals using Al/ML tools. These methodologies will be of immense use to GSI in their mineral exploration work by intensive use of Al/ML in the mineral exploration programme. Additionally, the session had presentations on recent changes in guidelines for forest clearance by MoEFCC and recent developments in NGDR.
In the presence of senior officials, V.L. Kantha Rao, inaugurated an Exhibition showcasing various exhibits on diverse themes of geoscience, in which GSI, PSUs private exploration agencies and startups showcased their achievements. The event concluded on an inspiring note, emphasizing the importance of progress, innovation, and a shared responsibility to shape a brighter future for generations to come.
