Hard work does pay off, says Dr Ravinder Anand of Perth, who has been honoured with the Member of the Order of Australia award (AM) at this year’s Australia Day.
As a scientist and researcher with a career spanning more than 40 years, Dr Anand together with his team has helped to transform the mining industry in the country. His research into regolith and landscapes across different regions of Australia has helped unearth mineral deposits such as gold, base metals as also rare earths and critical minerals. The findings of research led by him have helped to make mining more cost-effective and converted hindrances into money-spinning resources.
Expressing delight and gratitude for the recognition, he admits the enormity of the award has still not truly sunk in.
“Throughout my career, I’ve found the greatest satisfaction in innovating and seeing my research applied and valued by industry,” he says, adding that he is pleased the outcomes of his work will continue to benefit the country for years to come. “I do acknowledge however that the award reflects the collective effort of the teams I’ve worked with over many years.”
Dr Anand, who retired from the pinnacle position of chief research scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) credits the research body for bringing his dreams to life. He continues to serve the organisation as an honorary member and mentors young scientists.
Dr Anand has been in Australia since 1981 when he first landed here to pursue his doctorate from the University of Western Australia. He had been a lecturer of Soil Science at Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University in Palampur in northern India before migrating and surprised everyone around him when, six years later, he switched industries from the ‘expected’ agricultural line into mining and mineral exploration.
Looking in hindsight at that life altering decision, Dr Anand says, “I saw a lot of potential for my soil research to be innovatively applied to mineral exploration. Australia is rich in minerals, but they are hidden deep because much of the continent is covered by a thick blanket of soils, sediments and weathered rocks known as regolith. Our research has managed to capture ‘signatures’ of the mineral deposits hidden underneath.”
Driven by his research and pioneering technologies
Dr Anand has travelled across the country to help correctly sample regolith, thus significantly reducing costs of exploration, as well as helping to extract minerals from the regolith – converting it from a hindrance to an additional source of income for the miners. The research led by Dr Anand has contributed to discoveries of a series of gold deposits across the country. Dr Ravinder Anand AM
His latest work, concentrated on the discovery of gold and other metals in the leaves of native trees as well as in termite mounds, has helped exploration. Research has made significant and lasting changes to the practice of geochemical exploration globally. Industry leaders value deposit discoveries linked to regolith research to over $15 B.
Expressing pride at the width of impact of his work, Dr Anand says, “The processes developed by our research are being used by mining industries in Africa and South America as well, thus contributing substantially to the export economy of Australia as well.”
More than 300 publications and several awards later, Dr Ravinder Anand AM says his love for the subject remains the same. “As a scientist, I just love the subject. It’s never been a nine-to-five job for me, and I have often woken up in the middle of the night too to jot down new ideas.”
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