Miniratna central public sector enterprise (CPSE) Manganese Ore India Limited (MOIL) has received its first patent for innovation in technology for a period of 20 years. This is MOIL's first patent since its inception. A project to replace sand with alternate materials was undertaken by the Chairman and Managing Director, Mukund P Chaudhari and the Director of Production and Planning, Dipankar Shome with technical support from the General Manager of Mine Planning, Dr GG Manekar. Dr Manekar, conducted extensive trials for preparing pallets from overburden or waste rock of non-mineralised old refuse dumped material lying in large quantities at mine sites for replacement as fill material in the underground for hydraulic stowing in place of sand. Pallets made from overburden material at the Dongri Buzurg mine in Bhandara previously did not absorb the resistance due to the use of geosynthetic material. Dr Manekar carried on with his research and studies. In 2018, trials were conducted with a newly developed product made from a mix of overburden, and the results confirmed that the waste-derived product was suitable for hydraulic transportation in underground mines. Dr Manekar filed a patent application in the name of MOIL on 31 March 2018, titled a composition useful as an alternative filling material for hydraulic stowing in an underground mine and the methods thereof, elated by the project's success. MOIL received a patent for 20 years on May 10, after the examination and hearing at the Intellectual Property India office in Delhi. Image Source Also read: India to sign MoU with Argentina for strategic minerals partnership Also read: Steel production in India hit due to iron ore export to China