Bundelkhand varsity ties up with Russian centre

After finding deposits of several minerals, Bundelkhand will now get expert support from Russia on the research front.

Last week, the Bundelkhand University in Jhansi has signed an MoU with Russia-based Karelian Research Centre (KRC) to jointly conduct extensive research on the minerals found in the region.

Recently, the arid region of Bundelkhand struck gold after heavy deposits of minerals were found in the region after a three-year research. Deposits of around 30 minerals, including gold, diamond, diaspore, pyrophyllite, feldspar, dolomite, rock phosphate and silimanite were found in Lalitpur, Mahoba, Banda and Jhansi districts.

Diaspore, a major component of the aluminium ore bauxite and pyrophyllite — used in ceramics, talc and insecticides — have been found in Jhansi, Mahoba and Lalitpur districts. Feldspar — used in the ceramic industry for fine polishing and finishing — has been found in Jhansi. Deposits of rock phosphate — used in fertiliser and phosphorus industries — have been found in Lalitpur. Though the MoU — signed after a go-ahead by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology — has been signed for two years, the project can be extended to another year if needed.

Rambodh Maurya, Director of the state Department of Minerals and Geology, said: “We have found large deposits of at least three dozen minerals, some of which have high value in the international market. But the need is to conduct more research, grade these minerals and then make the international market aware of them. This is where the role of a foreign company or a research centre comes in. Talks were on with a number of companies from Australia, Canada and Finland, but the Russian centre became the first to tie-up with the university.”

While Dr Alexander Slabunov from the Institute of Geology’s Karelian Research Centre in Petrozavodsk city is the official in-charge from Russia, Professor V K Singh of the Bundelkhand University’s Department of Geology has been made the research head of the project. Experts from both Russia and India, including research scientists and geology students, will work on this project titled “Iron Crustal Evolution of the Fennoscandian and Indian Shield: Major Events and Geodynamics”.