SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 13: Climate Action
Institutions: Ministry of Earth Sciences
On 30 September 2025, Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), inaugurated the School on Geochronology Techniques – 2025 a training programme hosted at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi. He urged researchers to advance from data collection to meaningful interpretation, strengthen skills in sample preparation and modern instrumentation, and link geoscience to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. The School is designed to create a multiplier effect, with participants expected to act as teachers in their own institutions.
The event highlighted the role of geochronology in reconstructing Earth’s past, mapping resources, and managing hazards, citing Antarctic studies as examples. Dr. N. Khare (MoES/SAGE) noted that over 9,000 samples have already been dated at IUAC using advanced techniques such as AMS.
This initiative strengthens India’s human capital in advanced geoscience, builds self-reliance in analytical methods, and links Earth sciences directly to national climate and development goals. It provides a replicable model for other niche training domains such as isotope geochemistry and paleoclimate studies.
What is geochronology? → Geochronology is the science of dating rocks, sediments, and fossils using radiometric and isotope techniques. It helps reconstruct Earth’s history, informs natural resource exploration, and supports climate and hazard assessments.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can MoES scale training schools in advanced geosciences to ensure knowledge diffusion across state universities and build sustained capacity in Earth system science?
Follow the full news here: PIB — Press Release 2173155