Dr Praveer Pankaj is director at the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and is currently posted at the Director General Camp Office (DGCO) in New Delhi. He has nearly two decades of experience in the mineral exploration sector. During his time with GSI, he has been stationed at Raipur, Hyderabad, the Field Training Centre in Vajrakarur and Nagpur, contributing to GSI’s missions with a primary focus on mineral exploration. He currently oversees the Geoheritage Cell at the New Delhi office.
Dr Pankaj has also undertaken several foreign visits, including participation in the 35th International Geographical Congress in Cape Town, South Africa; joining a Ministry of Commerce delegation to Ghana; and visiting the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He has participated in fieldwork in the Bastar craton, Chhattisgarh basin, Dharwar craton, Vajrakarur kimberlite field and Betul belt. He has numerous national and international publications to his name.
He underscores GSI’s target of pursuing UNESCO Global Geopark status for Indian geoheritage sites and enhancing their visibility globally. In the mineral exploration domain, he emphasises the need for more detailed and deeper exploration by leveraging advanced technologies with increased geophysical input.
He believes that working in one of India’s oldest organisations, founded in 1851, offers significant opportunities for advancement in this field. He acknowledges that many officers in this field possess extensive knowledge and experience. He also notes that India has substantial low-grade mineral resources, emphasising the need for detailed exploration to convert them into reserves. The country’s large young workforce is another valuable asset. In the near future, there will be a stronger emphasis on critical minerals and advancements in their exploration and processing technology to meet modern-day requirements. Therefore, he stresses the need for integrating advanced technologies to enable deeper exploration and the efficient processing of low-grade minerals.
Dr Pankaj strives to complete his assignments within the optimal time frame, utilising minimal resources while ensuring a wide impact. He remains calm in crises, ensuring that challenges do not affect his subordinates. He also emphasises effective communication, keeping all relevant stakeholders informed as required.
Dr Pankaj holds an MSc from Patna University, an MPhil from Delhi University and a PhD from BHU, Varanasi. W