New Delhi: President Draupadi Murmu on Friday said that given the current geopolitical situation, India must achieve self-reliance in the production of rare earth elements. Speaking at the National Geoscience Awards 2024 here, Murmu said this would help India achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation and play a vital role in ensuring the country’s security.
She said, “Given the current geopolitical situation, it is very important that India becomes self-reliant in the production of rare earth elements.” She said that these elements are rare not because of their limited availability, but because the process of identifying these elements is very complex.
President Murmu further said that the development of indigenous technology would help complete this complex process. She noted that this is the era of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and clean energy technologies.
Rare Earth Elements Essential for Renewable Energy Technology
Rare earth elements are essential for smartphones, electric vehicles (EVs), and renewable energy technology. Rare earth elements are a group of 17 chemically similar metallic elements that are essential for advanced technology, including smartphones, electric vehicles, and wind turbines.
He stated that the Ministry of Mines is committed to sustainability and innovation. The mining sector is promoting AI, machine learning, and drone-based surveys. There is also a focus on recovering valuable elements from mine tailings.
“Pay more attention to research on natural disasters”
He stated that cloudbursts and landslides have caused significant damage to people in many parts of the country this year, and timely information on such natural disasters is crucial. The President said, “I appeal to the geological community to pay more attention to research on natural disasters such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis.”
Murmu also urged geologists to develop technologies that could provide timely information about these natural disasters to the common man. Instituted in 1966 by the Ministry of Mines, the National Geoscience Awards (known as the National Mineral Awards until 2009) are among the country’s oldest and most prestigious awards in the field of geology.
