Scientist Vijay Prasad Dimri has been appointed as the president of the 36th International Geological Congress (IGC), a global platform for advancement of earth science, to be held here in 2020, an official order issued today said.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved Dimri's appointment in place of Shailesh Nayak, the order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said, without citing any reasons.
Nayak had been the secretary of ministry of earth sciences and also the chairman of earth commission in India.
India, along with its co-host neighbouring countries -- Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka and Pakistan -- won the bid to host the 36th IGC in the National Capital Region from March 2 -8, 2020, according to the website of 36th IGC.
India had organised the 22nd session of IGC at New Delhi in 1964. "This was the first IGC in Asia. Thus, the IGC is returning to Indian subcontinent after a gap of 56 years," the website said.
The first session of IGC assembled in 1878 in France with an aim of providing the global geological community with an opportunity to create an organisational framework for meeting at regular intervals.
It envisaged a spirit of fraternal cooperation that transcends boundaries, languages and has the ability to bring together the geoscientific community across the continents and oceans.
Founded as a non-profit scientific and educational organisation in 1878, the IGC came under the aegis of International Union of Geological Sciences in 1961.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
