National Geoscience Data Repository Portal (NGDR)

Facts for Prelims

National Geoscience Data Repository Portal (NGDR)

News: The Ministry of Mines has launched the National Geoscience Data Repository Portal (NGDR). 

About:
• The National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) is a comprehensive online platform for accessing,  sharing, and analyzing geospatial information across India. This initiative was conceptualized by the  Ministry of Mines as part of the National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP), 2016. 
• The aim is to host all exploration-related geoscientific data to expedite, enhance, and facilitate the  exploration coverage of the country.
• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Bhaskaracharya Institute of Space Applications and  Geoinformatics (BISAG-N) spearheaded the NGDR initiative. 
• All legacy data of all stakeholders are brought into the system through digitization, and all the explorationrelated data has been standardized through the Mineral Exploration Reporting Template (MERT) and  converted into GIS-compatible formats for application of emerging technologies like AI and ML. 

About GSI:
• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was set up in 1851 primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways. 
• Its headquarters is in Kolkata. GSI an attached office to the Ministry of Mines. 
• Its main functions relate to creating and updating of national geoscientific information and mineral  resource assessment.

About BISAG-N:
• It is an autonomous scientific society under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
• It provides services and solutions in implementing map-based GeoSpatial Information Systems.
• Primary areas of focus- Satellite Communication, Geo-informatics and Geo-spatial technology.
• Location – Gandhinagar, Gujarat.