Page 3 - Mines Ministry

Mine bidders to face penalties for delays; Centre proposes timelines

The government has outlined timelines for various activities involved in the process, accompanied by penalties for delays attributable to the bidder

299 mines identified as abandoned, discontinued or closed so far: Govt

The government on Friday said it has identified 299 mines as abandoned, discontinued, or closed so far and Coal India Ltd has taken proactive steps towards the closure of these mines. In addition, an expert committee has been appointed to review the existing mine plan guidelines to strengthen the mine closure framework and to adopt best international practices. "A total of 169 pre-2009 and 130 post-2009 mines, considered abandoned, discontinued, or closed, have been identified. "Of these, 68 pre-2009 mines are marked for final closure, with 63 Final Mine Closure Plans (FMCPs) diligently prepared. Additionally, 14 pre-2009 mines are designated for temporary closure, with comprehensive Temporary Mine Closure Plans (TMCPs) developed for each," the coal ministry said in a statement. Mines closed before 2009 often lacked a structured closure framework, leading to non-scientific closures. Acknowledging the physical hazards and environmental consequences associated with these abandoned .

Mineral output rises 13.1% in Oct, 9.4% growth in Apr-Oct period: Govt

India's mineral production went up 13.1 per cent in October 2023, over the same month a year ago, the government said on Monday. The index of mineral production of the mining and quarrying sector for October was 127.4, 13.1 per cent higher than October 2022, as per the provisional figures of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The cumulative growth for the April-October period of the current fiscal over that of the year-ago period is 9.4 per cent. The minerals that showed positive growth in October included iron ore, manganese ore, gold, and coal. Important minerals showing negative growth included lignite, copper conc, and bauxite.

Mines ministry identifies offshore blocks in economic zone for exploration

The mines ministry on Thursday said it has identified some offshore blocks for granting operational rights and has sought inputs from the departments concerned to ensure there is no overlapping with other projects. In August, the government amended the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development & Regulation) Act (OAMDR) and introduced a transparent and non-discretionary auction process as the method of allocation of operating rights in the offshore areas. "The ministry has identified some blocks in the exclusive economic zone of India... in this regard, the ministry has sought comments/inputs from concerned ministries/department for availability of the offshore blocks for grant of operating rights to avoid any overlapping with the projects," the ministry said in a statement. To implement the provisions of the amended Act, the ministry framed two sets of draft rules -- Offshore Areas Mineral Auction Rules and Offshore Areas Existence of Mineral Resources Rules. The main features of the ...

Chhattisgarh govt tightens norms on utilisation of funds released from DMF

The mineral resources department issued a notification last week for the implementation of the Chhattisgarh District Mineral Foundation Rule-15

GSI data, NGDR to help makers of pumped storage hydro projects: Official

Mines Secretary V L Kantha Rao on Thursday stressed on the role of leading organisations under the mines ministry, including the Geological Survey of India (GSI), to build pumped storage hydro power projects and highways. Addressing a workshop, the secretary made a special mention of the National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM) for their inputs on assessing the quality of stones being used in the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. GSI data and the recently launched National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) portal will help developers of pumped storage hydro power project, he said. Rao underlined the vast geological, geotechnical data generated by the GSI over its journey of more than 172 years. "Rao called upon GSI to gear up to the demand from the industry and augment its in-house capacity in Mission IV to cater to desired quality output in a time-bound manner," the mines ministry said in a statement. Rao said the power ministry has envisioned construction of a large numb

100 critical mineral blocks to be auctioned before Feb 2024: Mines minister

Around 15 offshore blocks will also be auctioned in March

In a first, exploration licences to private agencies for mineral projects

A total of 17 projects, including 11 of critical minerals, provided to the five NPEAs are in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat and Karnataka

Digging deeper: Govt expects production of critical minerals in 4 years

Govt aims to expedite processes to hasten clearances, auction

Mineral output rises 11.5% in Sept: Data of Indian Bureau of Mines

Mineral production increased by 11.5 per cent in September as compared to the year-ago period, the government said on Tuesday. The index of mineral production of the mining and quarrying sector for the month of September 2023 at 111.5, is 11.5 per cent higher compared to the level in the month of September 2022, according to the provisional data of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The cumulative growth for the April-September period over the corresponding period of the previous financial year is 8.7 per cent, the mines ministry said in a statement. The production of important minerals in September includes coal (673 lakh tonnes), lignite (29 lakh tonnes), manganese ore (247,000 tonnes) and limestone (347 lakh tonnes). The minerals that showed positive growth during September this year include manganese ore, gold, iron ore, coal and limestone. Minerals that registered negative growth include petroleum (crude) magnesite and phosphorite.

20 blocks of critical minerals, including J&K reserves, put up for auction

Out of the 20 blocks available, four have been specifically earmarked for mining leases, leaving the remaining 16 blocks intended for composite licenses

Govt to launch first-ever auction of critical mineral blocks on Wednesday

The lack of availability of these minerals or concentration of their extraction or processing in a few countries may lead to supply chain vulnerabilities

First tranche auction of critical and strategic minerals to start on Nov 29

Twenty blocks of critical and strategic minerals being put on sale are spread across the country from November 29

Mines ministry preparing policy for critical minerals to boost supply chain

The Mines Ministry is in the process of preparing a policy for critical minerals which will include a road map for strengthening the supply chain of these essential resources, an official release said on Monday. Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements are essential components in many of today's rapidly growing clean energy technologies from wind turbines and electricity networks to electric vehicles. "The strategy will also identify the responsibilities of different ministries of Government of India in ensuring the resilience of the supply chain of critical minerals," the Mines Ministry said in a statement. The ministry is also preparing a strategy for recycling of metals which will help to increase the recycling capability and streamline the recycling process and will also work with partner countries to co-develop mineral processing and raw material manufacturing capabilities. Apart from strengthening the domestic mechanisms, collaborati

50,000 sq ft of space freed under special campaign: Mines ministry

The mines ministry on Saturday said 50,000 square feet of space has been freed under a special campaign and a revenue of Rs 1.47 crore has been generated from scrap disposal. The ministry and its subordinate organisations have utilised the Special Campaign 3.0 for disposal of pending matters and emphasized on giving back to nature through creative and innovative ways, the ministry said in a release. "Within the first three weeks of the campaign, the ministry has been ranked amongst the top ten for reviewing old physical files/records. It has achieved 100 per cent in easing of rules, processes, disposal of public grievances, inter-ministerial references and references received from state governments. Besides, 75 per cent of the targeted cleanliness campaigns have already been completed," it said. The mines ministry has set targets for disposal of pending matters and stressed on giving back to nature through creative and innovative ways under the campaign. Bird feeders and water pots

Mines min achieves 100% target for easing rules, legitimises 27 provisions

The mines ministry on Tuesday said it has decriminalised 27 provisions through amendments in the Atomic Mineral Concession Rules, 2016 and achieved 100 per cent target of easing of rules. The rules were decriminalised as part of a campaign to reduce compliance burden and ensure ease of doing business. "The special campaign 3.0 commenced from October 2, 2023 and the ministry of mines has attained 100 per cent of the target set for easing of procedure by decriminalising 27 rules through the amendment of Atomic Mineral Concession Rules, 2016," the mines ministry said in a statement. Under the campaign, the mines ministry has set the targets of addressing all pending matters and improving work place experience in all its offices. During the first week, the ministry said it resolved 95.45 per cent of the pending public grievances and completed 52 per cent of the task related to records management. Moreover, the mines ministry attained 43 per cent of the target for removing physical fil

Ministry of Mines set to release list of critical minerals for India

The list will serve as a guiding framework for policy formulation, strategic planning, and investment decisions in the mining sector

India set to get its first list of critical minerals on Wednesday

The critical minerals list is likely to have more than 40 minerals

Sustainable mining technology need of the hour: Minister Pralhad Joshi

Union Minister for Coal and Mining Pralhad Joshi was speaking at the inauguration of the first Mining Start-Up Summit at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Money for mining the seas: India considers political and financial risks

Legislative reform could create the environment for investments at a scale the government can hardly provide