Bhubaneswar: V L Kantha Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Mines & Chairman, CGPB, emphasized the platform’s vital role in fostering collaboration and advancing geosciences.
The 64th meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) was convened at the State Convention Centre, Lokseva Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, today. The event was chaired by Shri Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Chairman CGPB.
He outlined key initiatives by the Ministry of Mines, aligned with two significant recent budgetary announcements, on Critical Mineral Mission and Offshore Minin
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.