HYDERABAD, JULY 29, 2025: The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), celebrated its 76th Foundation Day with grandeur on July 29, 2025, at its Headquarters in Begumpet, Hyderabad.
Simultaneous celebrations were held across seven Regional Centres (New Delhi, Bengaluru, Jamshedpur, Shillong, Jaipur, Nagpur, and Cherlapally-Hyderabad) and three Sectional Offices (Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam, and Kolkata). The main function was held at Dr. Homi J. Bhabha Auditorium, AMD Headquarters.
The event was graced by Chief Guest K.N. Vyas, Homi Bhabha Chair Professor and Former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) & Secretary, DAE; Guest of Honour Shri B. Saravanan, Outstanding Scientist & Former Director, AMD; Shri L.K. Nanda, Outstanding Scientist & Former Director, AMD; and Shri Dheeraj Pande, Outstanding Scientist & current Director, AMD, along with Shri Prem Kumar Sharma, Additional Director, and several retired AMD geoscientists.
The celebrations commenced with an invocation to Goddess Saraswati and the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. In his welcome address, Mr Dheeraj Pande highlighted AMD’s achievements in atomic and critical minerals exploration and its contributions to the Nuclear Energy Mission and National Critical Mineral Mission under Viksit Bharat@2047.
An audio-visual presentation showcased key milestones and events organised during the 75th anniversary year. Addressing the gathering, B. Saravanan praised the dedication of veteran geoscientists who laid the foundation for AMD’s evolution as a premier geoscientific organisation.
In his keynote address, K.N. Vyas congratulated AMD and lauded its diverse exploration capabilities, especially in rare metals (Li, Be, Nb-Ta) and rare earth elements (REE), vital for India’s green energy transition. He emphasized the need to accelerate exploration for high-grade uranium deposits and suggested inter-DAE collaborative R&D to enhance AMD’s capabilities.
A Drilling Rig exhibit was unveiled by the Chief Guest as a highlight of the event. The celebrations also featured a cultural programme that received wide appreciation, followed by a vote of thanks by Shri Prem Kumar Sharma, Additional Director. The event concluded with the National Anthem.
About the Author
