36th International Geological Congress 2020: To be hosted by India in New Delhi

India is to host the 36^th International Geological Congress (IGC) in New Delhi in the first week of March 2020 (2-8 March 2020). The theme of the conference is ‘Geosciences: The Basic Science for Sustainable Development’.

Financiers of the event:

• The 2020 IGC is financed by the Ministry of Mines (MoM) and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) with the scientific support of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the National Science Academies of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is the nodal agency of the event.

International Geological Congress (IGC):

• IGC is a prestigious global geoscientific event held once every four years, the event is participated by around five to six thousand people from across the globe. The event aims to provide a platform for international cooperation in the field of Geoscience.
• The IGC event launches programs and provides investment opportunities in mining, mineral exploration and environmental management and other related enterprises.
• The event is highlighted by an exhaustive Science program and field excursions. An art geo exposition will be held where leading companies in the mines and mineral sector will showcase their products.
• India is the only Asian country that is to host the IGC for the second time, it hosted the 22nd IGC for the first time in 1964, the event was inaugurated by the then President of India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Highlights of the event:

• As an initiative of the event a half-day interactive workshop was held in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary Coal & Mines.
• Other honourees of the event were K.Rajeswara Rao, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines, V.P. Dimri, President, 36^th IGC and Alok Chandra, Economic Adviser, Ministry of Mines.

About Ministry of Mines:
Minister- Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi
Headquarters- New Delhi