India hosts its first International Kimberlite Conference

India hosted the International Kimberlite Conference (IKC) for the first time, as the 10th IKC recently took place in Bangalore, India, between 6-11 February, 2012.

The conference hosted highly distinguished individuals, including Mr. S.K. Srivastava, Additional Secretary of Mines Government of India and also the Chief Guest of the event. Guests of Honour included Sri G.V. Kongwad Secretary, Commerce and Industry Department, Govt. of Karnataka; Director General of Geological Survey of India, Sri A. Sunderamoorthy; Mr. Simon Young, Manager, Rio Tinto and Sri D.V. Pichamuthu, Director, Federation of Mineral Industries.

Being a platform that brings together geologists, geoscientists, mining companies, government bodies, diamond industry and academicians, Dr. H.K. Gupta, President of the Geological Society of India pointed out that this platform would help spread an awareness amongst government bodies, industry and the young geoscientists for the need to support India’s diamond mining potential, a field which has been the brunt of many bureaucratic issues. Mr. S.K. Srivastava, noted that “the coming 12th five year plan expects to present new policies allowing private participation in mineral exploration. “He further added that, “It has a five point program the highlights of which are exclusive license to anyone who finds diamonds, HTREL High Tech Reconnaissance Exploration License, Social License to Mining Companies and easy transfer of mining licenses”.

He also released a book entitled “Diamonds and their Source rocks in India” written by Dr. Fareeduddin and Dr. Roger H. Mitchell. Dr. Jayshree Panjikar of PANGEMTECH- Panjikar Gem Research and Tech Institute Pune, India, was invited by Dr. Fareeduddin, IKC convener, was presented the copy of this book by the authors.

This tenth edition carried a logo with the Kohinoor diamond enclosed in the Indian tricolor. It paid homage to the late Padmashree Dr. Bangalore Radhakrishna, who dedicated his life to geology.

Organized by the Geological Society of India and sponsored by Rio Tinto, De Beers, BHP Billiton, Australian Scientific Instruments, NGRL India, and supported by Ministry of Earth Sciences and Geological Survey of India.