Union Minister Launches National DMF Portal and Mineral Exploration Hackathon

The National District Mineral Foundation (DMF) portal was launched by Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy on Saturday. This centralized platform aims to gather information on the District Mineral Foundations across the country. The portal provides details of 645 DMFs in the country, enhancing transparency and featuring centralized visibility of activities, project oversight, and dynamic analytics.

It also serves as a repository of best practices for effective implementation. In addition, Reddy also launched the Mineral Exploration Hackathon, which focuses on innovative mineral hunt techniques. The hackathon aims to promote the use of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for geophysical data.

It seeks to integrate multiple mineral exploration data sets, such as baseline data and available exploration data, to identify new mineral targets, particularly for deep-seated or concealed ore bodies.

Furthermore, Reddy handed over certificates to eight preferred bidders of the second and third tranche of the e-auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks during the programme. The event was attended by Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Vijay Kumar Sinha, and officials from various organizations.