A state-of-art Geological Museum and Microscopic Lab established in the Geology department of Dhanbad’s P.K. Roy Memorial College was inaugurated on Friday by Anjani Kumar Srivastava, vice chancellor of Binod Bihari Mahto Koyalanchal.

The newly established museum cum lab spread over around 600 square feet area established on the line of IIT (ISM) Geological Laboratory contains the rare specimen of a wide variety of fossils like dinosaur and shell; ores like raw silver & platinum and minerals like raw pyrite and rose quartz, which were collected from different sites across the country over the last two months.

Talking to The Telegraph Online on Friday, B.K. Sinha, Principal of PK Roy Memorial College Dhanbad said that the museum cum laboratory established through the internal fund of the college is meant to provide opportunity to the students of Geology department as well as other relevant departments including Chemistry, Botany, Zoology and Geography departments to carry out a study of rare specimens of different categories and enhance their ambit of knowledge.

The museum cum laboratory comprising of wide range of microscopes including, Petrographic microscope, optical microscope and Stereo microscope will help the students and researchers to identify rocks and minerals in thin sections and other equipment like rock hammers, compasses, hand lenses will help them to understand the techniques and delicacies associated with of collection of specimens from the sites and on site study of the specimens.

He further said that the move to establish the museum cum laboratory is also aimed at strengthening the infrastructure of different departments of the college, ahead of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council for fetching better, A grade for the college which at present possesses B grade.

Notably, the better grade of NAAC ensures more fund flow through various bodies like University Grants Commission, Department of Science and Technology etc.

Sagar Kumar Swain, Head of the Department of Geology of PK Roy Memorial College who is also in-charge of the newly established museum cum laboratory said, “The specimens collected in the museum have been grouped into three broad categories including Fossil, Ore and Minerals.”

Elaborating more about the different categories of specimens Swain said, “The fossil specimen collections of museum comprise of Brachiopod, Othoceras, Ammonite, Trilobite, Rhineastes, Dinosaur, Petrified Wood Fossil, Shell Fossil, Edicarian, Echinoid, Crinoid and Glyptodon species while the Ore species collection include, Zinc, Lead, Nickel, Coal, Platinum Palladium, Raw Silver, Manganese, Iron, High Grade Cobalt, Gold, Copper and Platinum.

He further said mineral species of the museum include, Actinolite, Argentiferous Galena,Biotite,Botrite, Botryoidal Purple Smithsonite, Chalcopyrite, Green Selenite, Kyanite, Orpiment, Pectolite, Pentlandite, Raw Pyrite and Rose Quartz.