HICET organises seminar on RARE EARTH ELEMENTS

A national-level seminar titled "Rare Earth Elements for India's Energy and Industrial Future" was held at Hindustan College of Engineering and Technology (HICET) on Wednesday, 11 February 2026. The seminar was organised by Department of Automobile Engineering, HICET  in association with Anusandhan National Research Foundation.

The seminar was organized to provide an overview on Rare earth elements (REEs), the group of 17 metallic elements—the 15 lanthanides (lanthanum to lutetium) plus scandium and yttrium that are essential for high-technology, green energy, and defence applications.

The seminar was delivered by scientists Dr.M.Jayakumar and Dr.K.Giribabu who have extensive experience in working with rare earth elements.  During his address, Dr.M.Jayakumar said that rare earth elements play a vital role in the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels and modern electronic devices that help our shift to green energy. He outlined the applications in our Indian national security and defense systems such as radars, lasers and communication systems. He clearly established the increasing need for rare earth elements and requested the students to develop their knowledge in the emerging area.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr.K.Giribabu lucidly explained how rare earth elements are extracted from mines, purified and modified to suit our needs. He elaborated on the needs and means of changing their properties for end user applications Both the scientists patiently answered queries from the students regarding rare earth minerals.

A total of 180 Teachers and teachers from more than 30 colleges participated in the nation wide seminar. Some of the students also shared their knowledge and research related to rare earth minerals. The participants appreciated HICET for organizing the seminar in a wonderful manner. They were all thankful for obtaining impetus about an emerging field. 

The seminar was held under the auspices of Smt.TRK.Saraswathi, Managing Trustee, Dr.K.Priya. Executive Secretary and Dr.J.Jaya, Principal. The seminar was presided by Dr.P.N.Magudeswaran, Dean (Academics) while Dr.C.Sabarinathan, Head, Department of Automobile Engineering spearheaded the seminar. All the arrangements for the seminar were coordinated by Prof.J.Yogaraja, Assistant Professor.