Geology
Department Report 2011-2012
This academic year was a mixed package - consisting high and low moments. The graduating batch received laurels with a 100% success at the University exams and the rankers, Ms. Debarati Das along with Mr. Vivan Sorab made us proud.
As a part of our efforts towards offering a practical hands-on learning experience, the second year students were trained over a period of three days in Flood basalt mapping near Lonavala and later taken on a visit to the Pashan quarries for mineral collection. The third year students underwent exhaustive geological mapping exercises in and around the coastal town of Malvan for a period of 12 days. The freshmen were taken for a couple of weekend field-visits to areas around the city, with the aim of familiarising them with the local geology.
The Mineralogy and Petrology laboratory of the department was the privileged recipient of 7 excellent petrological microscopes through special grants sanctioned to the college by the University Grants Commission.
Apart from the undergraduate and post graduate teaching, Faculty members of the department have continued their participation in research and consultancy activities. Dr. Hilal Farooq participated in an international conference “Arsenic in Groundwater of Southern Asia” in Hanoi, Vietnam. He was awarded a fellowship of 1600 US$ by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark under International Development Cooperation (DANIDA) for attending an international conference. He was also awarded the “Young Scientist Project” with a budget allocation of 11.16 lakhs for working on the problem of arsenic contamination in groundwater of West Bengal by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Mr. Bobby George attended a refresher course in Environmental Sciences conducted by the Academic Staff College, Kerala University. He also offers consultancy in the arena of rock characterisation and engineering geology. Dr. Pravin Henriques was invited to present a paper at the Third National Seminar-cum-Workshop in “Gemmology” organized by the Department of Geology of Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalaya, Bhopal (M.P) under the aegis of: South Asian Association of Economic Geologist (SAAEG) and Indian Science Congress Association Bhopal Chapter. He also continues to co-ordinate the self-financing diploma in Gemmology as well as offers gem and jewellery identification and evaluation services.
Dr. Hrishikesh Samant was appointed as a member on the National Task Force on Geospatial Education by the MHRD, Government of India. He was invited to coordinate the Exchange Forum: Evolving Industry-Institution Network for Capacity Building., Geospatial World Forum 2012, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where he also presented a paper. He delivered the Late Sitaram Ghate Memorial Lecture - "Mitigating Wars- Ensuring Military Parity through Remote Surveillance", in Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai. The World Wide Fund for Nature, India invited Dr. Samant to speak on 'Rain Water Harvesting and Geology’, in the Teacher-Training Workshop in Mumbai. He was also a resourse person for a ISTE-approved weeklong STTP at Rizvi College of Engineering, where he conducted a half-day session on 'The role of Geology in Civil Engineering.
At the end of the academic year, the department bid adieu to Dr. Hilal Farooq, who has moved on to pursue his academic career at IIT Bhubaneshwar.
The untimely demise of our Head Dr. Ms. Bakhtawar Sethna on the 3rd of March, 2012 was a tragic note that struck the department of geology. The memorial service held on the 14th of March, 2012 was attended by distinguished alumni of the department who came to pay their respects to the memory of Dr. Mrs. Sethna.
Dr. Hrishikesh Samant
Head, Department Of Geology.
