National Geoscience Awards for IIT-Kgp scientists

Two scientists of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur have been selected for the National Geoscience Awards-2014 instituted by the union mines ministry, it was announced on Monday.

Abhijit Mukherjee, assistant professor at IIT-Kgp's department of geology and geophysics and School of Environmental Science and Engineering has been selected for his research in groundwater exploration.

"He has developed the first regional groundwater flow model of the western Bengal basin and explored arsenic-safe aquifers in extensive parts of the Gangetic plains and delta in wide parts of eastern India," said a statement from the institution.

Dewashish Upadhyay, assistant professor at the same department, was recognised for his contributions in the fields of geochemistry, isotope geology, geochronology, petrology and cosmochemistry. "The studies augment our fundamental understanding of how the earth and planets have formed and how the continents and mountain belts have evolved over geological times, especially in the context of the tectonic and geo-dynamic evolution of the Indian subcontinent," according to the statement. The award carries a certificate and cash prize. It will be presented in a ceremony in New Delhi next month.