Parliament Passed Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) [MMDR Act 1957] Amendment Bill, 2023
The amendment introduces major reforms in the mining sector which includes:
- Omission of 6 minerals from the list of 12 atomic minerals specified in Part-B of the First Schedule of the Act, namely, Lithium bearing minerals, Titanium bearing minerals and ores, Beryl and other beryllium bearing minerals, Niobium and Tantalum bearing minerals and Zirconium-bearing minerals. (Mining and exploration of atomic minerals specified in Part-B of the First Schedule of the Act was only being done through PSUs. Hence, exploration and mining of these minerals is very limited.)
- Empower Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for certain critical minerals viz. molybdenum, rhenium, tungsten, cadmium, indium, gallium, graphite, vanadium, tellurium, selenium, nickel, cobalt, tin, platinum group of elements, minerals of “rare earth” group (not containing Uranium and Thorium); fertilizer minerals such as potash, glauconite and phosphate (without uranium) and minerals being removed from the list of atomic minerals. Revenue from these auctions will accrue to concerned State Government.
- Introducing exploration licence for deep-seated and critical minerals. These minerals are copper, gold, silver, diamond, lithium, cobalt, molybdenum, lead, zinc, cadmium, elements of the rare earth group, graphite, vanadium, nickel, tin, tellurium, selenium, indium, rock phosphate, apatite, potash, rhenium, tungsten, platinum group of elements and other minerals proposed to be removed from the list of atomic minerals.