SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 6: The six-day online course on Critical Minerals, organized by the Department of Petroleum Engineering at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, concluded today. Prof. A.K. Mishra, Director of CSIR–Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, was the chief guest at the valedictory session.
In his address, Prof. Mishra highlighted the strategic role of critical minerals in driving India’s sustainable energy transition and technological advancement.
He emphasized the need for scientific and technological leadership to unlock India’s mineral potential, reduce dependence on imports, and align with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
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Inaugural Session
The course was inaugurated earlier by Rajesh Kumar, Group General Manager, Bombay High, ONGC, who underlined the importance of minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and graphite in advancing clean energy systems, strengthening defence preparedness, and boosting industrial innovation.
He commended IIT (ISM) for playing a proactive role in knowledge dissemination and industry–academia collaboration.
Expert Contributions
Notable speakers included Dr. Vilas Tathavadkar (Hindalco Industries Ltd.), Prof. S. Bhattacharya (Monash University, Australia), Prof. Sarma V. Pisupati (Penn State University, USA), Dr. Sanjay Kumar (CSIR-NML, Jamshedpur), and Dr. Sudip Maity (CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad), among others.
They shared insights on the exploration, processing, and application of critical minerals across various sectors.
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Course coordinator Prof. Vikas Mahto, Head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, said the initiative would help build national capacity across the critical mineral value chain—from exploration and processing to applications and recycling.
Co-coordinators Prof. Mohammed Hamid Siddique and Prof. Chandan Sahu stressed the growing need for interdisciplinary approaches and industry partnerships to shape India’s mineral roadmap.
