Patana: Two geologists from Keonjhar district have brought laurels to Odisha after receiving the prestigious National Geoscience Award 2024 from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi Friday.
At a special ceremony organised by the Union Ministry of Mines at the Cultural Centre of Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Murmu presented the award, trophy and citation. Union Minister for Mines and Coal G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey, and Mines Secretary Piyush Goyal were present.
The award was conferred on Shraddhanjali Subhadarshini, a native of Patana block in Keonjhar, for her significant contributions to research and exploration in coal, lignite and coal-bed methane. Subhadarshini is currently serving as the director of the Geological Survey of India (Odisha chapter). Daughter of retired headmaster Madan Mohan Dwibedi and retired teacher Kumudini Kar, she is married to petroleum geologist Shibadatta Mohapatra of Gopinathpur village.
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Her recognition has sparked celebrations in her native village Swam, and her in-laws’ village Gopinathpur. Local leaders, including Keonjhar MP Ananta Nayak, Patana MLA Akhil Chandra Nayak, former MLA Jagannath Nayak, former block chairman Bidyadhar Dash and several others, have congratulated her.
Similarly, Haramohan Mahant of Baria village in Champua block has also been awarded for his outstanding work in copper exploration. He is the son of Kala Kar Mahant and Narmada Mahant. This year, a total of 20 geoscientists across India received the National Geoscience Award. Notably, Keonjhar district alone accounted for two recipients.
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