Abstract
A conference titled Fossils as Earth’s Timekeepers was organised to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of the Palaeontological Society of India (PSI) and the Diamond Jubilee of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) from 29 to 31 October 2025, at Goa. Jointly organised by PSI and CSIR-NIO, the event was a significant occasion for fostering collaborations and celebrating the historical contributions of both organisations to the study of Earth’s geological history through fossils. The PSI, one of the oldest, premier, and most active scientific societies in India, was established on 26 January 1950, the exact date when the country became a republic and adopted its constitution. The society is dedicated to promoting palaeontological and stratigraphic research in the country. The society organises a variety of lectures featuring distinguished researchers and recognises outstanding contributions to the field through various awards. The society’s Platinum Jubilee brought together leading scientists, researchers, students, and industry professionals working in palaeontology, stratigraphy, and Earth Sciences. The conference provided a platform for the exchange of knowledge and the discussion of new advancements in these fields.
Fossils are significant for several scientific and industrial reasons, as they provide a record of life on Earth over millions of years, help understand the evolution of life, reconstruct ancient environments, and aid in understanding how Earth has changed over time. It is often used to date rocks, correlate layers across different regions, and understand how Earth’s climate has changed. Fossils, especially microfossils, are used in oil exploration to identify potential reserves. Given their multiple applications, palaeontologists extensively study fossils across different realms of the Earth. Our country also has a vast community of palaeontologists. The study of fossils is an integral part of Earth Sciences and is one of the core disciplines of Geology. A large number of academicians and researchers in our country are actively using fossil characteristics to understand Earth’s evolution. Despite the widespread fundamental and commercial application of fossils, the interest in their study is dwindling for several reasons. One reason is the lack of an appropriate forum to discuss the ongoing work and way forward in the study of fossils in our country. To provide a forum for palaeontologists to discuss the current status and outstanding issues in the study of fossils, the NIO, in collaboration with the PSI, organised the first-ever conference, inviting contributions from all disciplines of palaeontology in India.
The conference received a remarkable response from participants across India. A total of 278 participants attended the event, representing diverse academic and research institutions. These included delegates from 42 universities, 13 research institutes, 6 Indian Institutes of Technology (Roorkee, Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, Kharagpur, and Bhubaneswar), 4 Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (Pune, Mohali, Kolkata, Bhopal) and 8 colleges. The conference also had substantial industry participation, with representatives from major organisations, including Oil India Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Atomic Minerals Directorate, and Geological Survey of India, as well as 19 other sponsors. This underscores the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, highlighting the relevance of palaeontological research across sectors, including the coal, oil and gas industry, the environmental sciences, and beyond.
The conference commenced on 29 October 2025, with an inaugural ceremony attended by distinguished guests. The dignitaries lit the traditional lamp to inaugurate the conference (Photograph 1). The co-convener, Dr Thejasino Suokhrie, provided the details of the conference, emphasising the massive response from delegates from all over the country. Professor Avinash Chandra Pandey, Director, Inter University Accelerator Centre, Delhi, graced the event as the Chief Guest, alongside Dr S. P. Singh, Director General, Kaushalya, The Skill University, Ahmedabad, as the Guest of Honour. Professor Pandey appreciated the society’s (PSI) efforts to promote palaeontology in the country. He also encouraged the researchers to use the geochronological facilities established at the Inter University Accelerator Centre, Delhi. Professor Singh reminisced about his long association with the society and offered all possible support for its activities. Other notable dignitaries included Professor M. P. Singh, Former President and Patron of PSI, Dr Rajiv Nigam, President of PSI and Professor Sunil Kumar Singh, Director of CSIR-NIO, Goa. To commemorate the society’s Platinum Jubilee, it published a special issue of its flagship journal. This special issue of the Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India, Volume 70(1), was also released during the inaugural function. The Chief Editor of the journal, Professor Mukund Sharma, was present on this occasion and elaborated on the journal’s journey over the last 70 years. The journal is Scopus-indexed and has an Impact Factor. The dignitaries also released an abstract volume of all the papers presented in the conferences (Photograph 2A and B).
The dignitaries lit the traditional lamp to mark the conference’s inauguration.
A and B. The release of the abstract volume and the special Issue of the Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India during the inaugural function of the conference.
The award ceremony followed the inaugural function. Dr Anju Saxena, Secretary of PSI, presented details of the society’s activities. In recognition of outstanding contributions to the field, several awards, instituted by the society, were presented. The awards and recipients included the Platinum Jubilee Medal (One-Time)—Professor M. P. Singh, Lucknow; PSI-Rajiv Nigam Medal, 2025—Professor N. Malarkodi, Bangalore; PSI-SN Bhalla Medal, 2025—Professor P. K. Kathal, Sagar; PSI-Sharda Chandra Gold Medal, 2025—Dr Shreya Mishra, Lucknow; PSI-Mani Shankar Shukla Gold Medal, 2025—Dr Swati Tripathi, Lucknow; PSI-PV Dehadrai Medal, 2025—Dr Alok Kumar, Varanasi; PSI-SK Shah Medal, 2025—Dr O. N. Bhargava, Chandigarh; PSI-S. K. Singh Medal 2023—Dr Suyash Gupta, Lucknow; PSI-S. K. Singh Medal 2024—Dr Pooja Nitin Saraf, Lucknow; PSI-Smt. Kamla Bhattacharya Medal—Ms Rashmi Srivastava, Lucknow.
By conferring these awards, the society celebrated the excellence and dedication of individuals in advancing the study of palaeontology and stratigraphy in India. The awards were conferred by Dr Shekhar Mande, Former Director General, CSIR; Dr Dheeraj Pande, Director, Atomic Minerals Directorate; Dr S. W. A. Naqvi, National Science Chair, and Former Director, CSIR-NIO and Professor D. M. Banerjee, Indian National Science Academy, Senior Scientist. The former executive committee members of the society [Professor M. P. Singh (former President), Professor Devesh K. Sinha, Professor S. P. Mohan, Professor S. M. Hussain and Dr V. P. Mishra (former Vice-Presidents), Secretaries and Joint Secretaries including Dr Neloy Khare and Dr Rajani Panchang] were felicitated for their notable contributions towards managing the activities of the society during the past.
The conference’s technical sessions commenced with a plenary talk following the award ceremony (Photograph 3A and B). The conference featured 5 plenary talks delivered by renowned experts in the field (Professor Sunil Bajpai, Dr Dheeraj Pande, Dr Anand Kale, Professor Shreerup Goswami, and Dr Neeraj Rai), who shared their insights on the latest trends and discoveries in palaeontology. In the first plenary talk, Dr Neeraj Rai provided details of the lineages of the Indian population. He informed that the practice of caste is a relatively recent feature in Indian society. Alongside these talks, the conference also included 80 oral presentations, 85 flash talks, and poster presentations. These presentations were spread across 13 scientific sessions, each focusing on different aspects of palaeontology, including fossil records, stratigraphy, and the role of fossils in understanding Earth’s geological history. The talks were scheduled under 13 themes, namely (a) Evolutionary Trends in Various Fossils Groups, (b) Applications of Fossils in Demarcating Stratigraphic Boundaries, (c) Vertebrates through ages and their use in Palaeogeography, (d) Applications of Palaeobotany in Reconstructing Earth’s Past, (e) Isotopic and Elemental Geochemistry of Fossils, (f) Applications of Molecular Biology in Palaeontology, (g) Fossils as Proxy in Palaeoclimate and Palaeoceanography, (h) Functional Morphology of Fossils, (i) Palaeontological Proxies in Archaeology, (j) Human Evolution and Civilizations, (k) Use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Palaeontology, (l) Recent Advancements in Ichnofossil Origin and Application, and (m) Microfossils in Petroleum and Gas Hydrate Exploration.
A and B. The guests, invitees and delegates in the S. Z. Qasim Auditorium of the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, during the conference.
In the second plenary talk on the opening day of the conference, Dr Dheeraj Pande provided detailed insights into the application of fossils in the exploration for radioactive element deposits, especially Uranium. The presentations in the first and second technical sessions on the first day of the conference were focused on the theme ‘Evolutionary trends in various fossil groups’. Professor Devesh K. Sinha and Dr Debhahuti Mukherjee chaired the sessions. The session co-chairs included Dr R. S. Chandel, Dr Rajkumar Singh and Dr Kapesa Lokho. As part of the cultural programme, attendees enjoyed the boat cruise on the Mandovi River. This offered participants a relaxing evening amidst the natural beauty of Goa, providing an opportunity for networking and informal discussions.
The second day began with the plenary talk by Professor Sunil Bajpai. He elaborated about the presence of fossils of similar terrestrial fauna, which clearly indicates that the Palaeocene-Eocene boundary connected Asia and India. The talk was followed by presentations focusing on the theme ‘Vertebrates through ages and their use in palaeogeography’. The session included lectures on the diversity of rats, snakes, and dinosaurs, as well as their dispersal patterns. Dr S. K. Parcha chaired the session, and co-chairs included Professor Bandana Samat and Dr Pankaj Baghel. Two parallel sessions were convened after the tea break on the second day of the conference. These included a session on ‘Isotopic and elemental geochemistry applications in palaeoclimate and archaeology’, chaired by Dr S. W. A. Naqvi with Professor Ashutosh K. Singh and Dr Vikram P. Singh as co-chairs. The second parallel session was on ‘Applications of fossils in demarcating stratigraphic boundaries’, chaired by Dr N. Khare and co-chaired by Dr Sanghamitra Ray and Dr Milan K. Sharma.
In the third plenary talk on the second day, Dr Anand Kale summarised recent advances in the application of microfossils in oil and gas exploration. With his vast experience in the oil and gas sector, he highlighted the evolving global exploration landscape. Two parallel sessions followed the talk. In the session on ‘Fossils as proxy in palaeoclimate and palaeoceanography’, chaired by Professor S. P. Mohan and co-chaired by Dr Subodh Chaturvedi and Dr S. M. Saalim, delegates presented recent findings on monsoon and associated changes from the Indian Ocean and adjoining subcontinent. The concurrent parallel session on ‘Recent Advancements in ichnofossil origin and application’ was chaired by Professor Abu Talib and co-chaired by Professor S. M. Hussain and Dr Vikal Singh. A follow-up session on ‘Fossils as proxy in palaeoclimate and palaeoceanography’, post-afternoon tea-break was chaired by Dr Aninda Mazumdar and co-chaired by Dr S. G. D. Sridhar, along with Dr C. Panmei. The parallel session titled ‘Applications of palaeobotany in reconstructing Earth’s past’ was chaired by Professor Mukund Sharma and co-chaired by Dr Anju Saxena and Dr Veeru Kant Singh.
The plenary talk on the third day of the conference was delivered by Professor Shreerup Goswami, who summarised the details of the Gondwana flora of India and presented three-dimensional reconstructions of the plants. The talk was followed by a session on ‘Applications of palaeobotany in reconstructing Earth’s past’, chaired by Dr A. K. Ghosh with Dr Anoop Ambili as co-chair. The subsequent session on the same theme was chaired by Dr Suresh Pillai and co-chaired by Dr Ratan Kar. The parallel session on ‘Fossils as proxy in palaeoclimate and palaeoceanography’ was chaired by Dr Rahul Mohan, with Professor Ajoy Bhaumik and Dr Debarati Mukherjee as co-chairs. The last technical session, post-lunch on the third day, titled ‘Recent advancements in palaeontology and its applications’ was chaired by Dr Pravin J. Henriques and co-chaired by Dr Parth R. Chauhan and Professor M. S. Gandhi.
The conference concluded with the valedictory function graced by Professor Dhruv Sen Singh, Head, Department of Geology, Lucknow University, as the Chief Guest and Dr Neloy Khare, Adviser, Ministry of Earth Sciences, as the Guest of Honour. The delegates appreciated the organisers’ meticulous planning and the timely completion of the sessions. The undergraduate and graduate students thanked the organisers for providing the travel assistance and free boarding and lodging. Additionally, the conference also included a field excursion on 1 November 2025, to promote camaraderie among participants.
With a mix of scientific discussions, awards, and cultural programmes, the event successfully brought together experts and emerging researchers to share knowledge and foster future collaborations. This milestone conference underscored the importance of fossils in understanding the history of our planet and strengthened the collective commitment to advancing research in palaeontology and stratigraphy. It also highlighted the role of institutions such as PSI and CSIR-NIO in promoting scientific temperament and scientific education in India.
