Shillong, May 14: The Geological Survey of India Training Institute, Shillong has conducted a three days training workshop on “Utility of National Geoscience Data Repository Portal (NGDR) and its applications” for stakeholder and user agencies of Geoscience data at Regional Training Division, GSI, NER, Shillong from 13th to 15th May, 2024.
The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. S. K. Kulshreshtha, Dy. Director General & RMH-III, GSI, NER, Shillong in presence of Sh. R. L. Sarkar, Dy. Director General & RMH-II and Dr. B. N. Mahanta, Director, RTD, NER, GSI, Shillong on 13th May.
Twenty-one trainees from state departments of geology and mining of the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, central organisations such as NESAC, AMD, CGWB, MECL, faculties of NEHU and private exploration agencies have participated in the workshop. Ms. Pallabi Shome, Sr. Geologist from NGDR, GSI, Kolkata was the recourse person for the training.
In the concluding session, Sh. G. K. Kesari, Additional Director General & HOD, NER urged all the stakeholder organisations to utilise the portal and participate in the process of mineral exploration. He also distributed the certificates to all particpnats.
National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) is a flagship initiative conceptualised by Ministry of Mines as a part of National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP), 2016 for hosting all exploration related geoscientific data for dissemination to all the stakeholders so as to expedite, enhance and facilitate the exploration coverage of the country.
Geological Survey of India is selected as the nodal agency for the implementation of NGDR. All legacy data of all stakeholders will be brought in to the system through digitization and all the exploration related data has been standardized through MERT (Mineral Exploration Reporting Template) and converted into GIS compatible formats for application of emerging technologies like AI and ML.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI), founded in 1851, is a Government of India, Ministry of Mines organisation, one of the oldest of geoscientific organisations in the world for conducting geological surveys and studies of India, and also as the prime provider of basic earth science information to government, industry and general public.
The main functions of GSI relate to creation and updation of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment. These objectives are achieved through ground surveys, air-borne and marine surveys, mineral prospecting and investigations, multi-disciplinary geoscientific, geo-technical, geo-environmental and natural hazards studies, glaciology, seismotectonic study, and carrying out fundamental research. Outcome of work of GSI has immense societal value.
Functioning and annual programmes of GSI assume significance in the national perspective. GSI, headquartered at Kolkata, has six Regional offices located at Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata and State Unit offices in almost all States of the country.
Presently, Geological Survey of India is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines. The Geological Survey of India Training Institute with headquarters at Hyderabad is the main arm of the department for training and capacity building in the field of geoscience of its own officers, state governments, other agencies as well as academia.
