Latest news with #MinesandMinerals(DevelopmentandRegulation)Act
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
India plans critical mineral recycling scheme amid China supply worries
New Delhi: Amid concerns of rare earth magnet supplies from China, the Union ministry of mines is finalizing an incentive scheme for recycling critical minerals that are used in their manufacturing, top government officials said. The minerals under consideration for recycling include neodymium, dysprosium, terbium and samarium. Speaking to mediapersons in Delhi on the sidelines of a seminar on critical mineral processing, V.L. Kantha Rao, secretary to the ministry of mines, said that a scheme with an allocation of about ₹1,500 crore is in approval stage with the ministry and would also require the nod of the Union cabinet. 'We have thought of incentivizing the recycling of critical minerals. Rare earths are part of critical minerals. If someone says I can recycle old permanent magnets, which is very difficult and says that I would recycle neodymium or one of these four rare earths, then we will incentivize them. The scheme is yet to be approved. It's in the process of seeking approval," Rao said. Addressing the event, Dinesh Mathur, joint secretary to the mines ministry, also said that the scheme is in 'final stages." Also read: China restricts rare earth exports: Will it put the brakes on India's EV ambitions? Further, the mines secretary told mediapersons that the ministry is planning to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act to support the extraction of mine tailings, which are waste material left over after the extraction of minerals. 'Critical minerals require certain amendments in the Act and we will take some amendments to the monsoon session (of Parliament) hopefully. The finance minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) had earlier said that there should be a tailing if you are doing Manganese mining, you can extract Cobalt out of the dump. If you are doing Bauxite mining, from that red mud you can extract Gallium. Basically, we want to incentivize all these trace, critical minerals that are associated with bulk minerals. For that we will have to bring in a royalty structure which is attractive," Rao said. The National Critical Mineral Mission also talks about the regulatory regime to be relaxed to encourage optimum recovery of critical minerals from various sources such as overburden, tailings, fly ash, red mud, and existing mines. Industry supportive of move Speaking to Mint, Pratyush Sinha, vice president, special projects at Lohum, a critical minerals refining and processing company, said the scheme would help India's nascent mineral recycling industry stand on its feet and grow over the next few years to cater significantly to the domestic requirement. Also read: Weapons of wealth: How economic assets turned into war machinery 'This is going to be a major scheme for the entire industry. China has an upper hand as companies there have enjoyed several state benefits. The scheme will help the industry as it is still in the initial stages compared to the magnitude in China. So, it will help in bridging the gap till the sector becomes independent. Although initially recycling of critical minerals will only remain a small part of the overall critical mineral business and demand requirement, going ahead it would take a greater share," Sinha said. The background The development comes at a time when India's automobile industry is struggling to source rare earth magnets from China. On 5 June, Mint reported that applications from India for rare earths remain stuck even as China has resumed exports to other countries. Auto industry representatives told the ministry of heavy industries on 29 May that India's production of conventional and electric vehicles could be hit as early as this month if China doesn't resume exports of rare earth magnets to the country soon. An industry executive said that the supplies of rare earth magnets with the India auto industry currently are adequate for about four weeks. To be sure, China has a monopoly on rare earth magnets, essential for manufacturing of electric-vehicle motors and other auto components. More moves Media reports suggest that the Centre is also considering an incentive scheme to boost manufacturing of rare earth magnets in the country. Recycling of critical minerals is a key initiative under the ₹16,300 crore National Critical Minerals Mission approved by the Union cabinet in January this year. The mission also laid down a plan for formulation of guidelines for recycling of critical minerals to streamline the informal mineral recycling sector in the country. Although India has nearly 7 million tonnes of rare earth reserves, mining of these reserves have not picked up amid lack of investor interest. Plus, the country currently does not have a technology used at mass scale to develop rare earth magnets. Also read: Donald Trump reveals 'very good' call with Xi Jinping, accepts invitation to visit China with Melania Officials aware of the development said that state-run Non Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre has created a technology to develop rare earth magnets and it may become commercially available within the next six months. India has been in the pursuit of self-dependence in the space of critical minerals as the these minerals are required in several key and strategic sectors including renewable energy, electric mobility, batteries, defence and telecommunications. Apart from efforts to boost domestic production of these minerals including lithium, cobalt, manganese, Centre has also been encouraging India public sector and private sector to look at acquiring assets abroad.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
1 held for illegal sand extraction in Kundapur
Udupi: Kundapur police arrested a man on the charges of illegally extracting sand from the Panchagangavali near Ring Road at the end of Nana Saheb Road in Vaderahobli village, Kundapur taluk. Acting on a tip-off received on Sunday, Kundapur police sub-inspector Nanja Naik conducted a raid at the site and arrested Uday Mendon, while another suspect, identified as Sunil, managed to flee. The accused were allegedly involved in the unauthorised extraction and stockpiling of sand for transportation without valid permits. During the operation, police seized a fibre boat valued at Rs 15,000, 1.5 units of sand worth approximately Rs 5,000, a tipper truck estimated at Rs 5 lakh, along with an iron chain and two buckets used in the illegal activity. A case was registered at Kundapur police station under Sections 303(2) and 112 of the BNS and Sections 4, 4(1)(a), and 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.
Business Upturn
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Coal India named preferred bidder for graphite and vanadium block in Chhattisgarh
Coal India Limited (CIL), the state-run Maharatna company, has been declared the preferred bidder by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, for the Oranga-Revatipur Graphite and Vanadium Block located in the Balrampur-Ramanujganj district of Chhattisgarh. The block was auctioned for a mining lease under Tranche V, as per the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The company received formal communication via a letter dated May 27, 2025, and informed stock exchanges about the development under Regulation 30 of SEBI (LODR) Regulations, 2015. Advertisement Key details of the awarded block: Block Area : 366.478 hectares Graphite Resource : 9.28 million tonnes at 2% fixed carbon (FC) cutoff, with an average grade of 5.48% FC Vanadium Resource : 0.70 million tonnes at 1000 ppm cutoff, with a weighted average grade of 1211.64 ppm (G2 stage) Mining Premium : CIL will pay 189.75% of the value of the mineral dispatched as mining premium to the government Timeline: The mining lease deed is to be executed within three years from the issuance of the Letter of Intent by the State Government The project is entirely domestic in nature, and neither CIL's promoter group nor related parties have any interest in the awarding authority. This new mining block is expected to further enhance CIL's diversification into strategic minerals, expanding beyond its core coal portfolio. Disclaimer: This news report is based on regulatory filings by the company and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Coal ministry sets FY26 production target at 1,150 MT; proposes coal trading exchange, policy reforms
New Delhi: The Ministry of Coal has set a coal production target of 1,150.39 million tonnes (MT) for the financial year 2025-26, with Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries contributing 875 MT, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) 72 MT, and captive and other producers 203.39 MT. To further open up the coal market, the ministry has proposed the establishment of a Coal Trading Exchange (CTE) for online trading, clearing, and settlement. Legislative backing is being sought for the exchange through amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. A draft Cabinet note was circulated on March 7, 2025, and public comments have also been invited via the ministry's website. The ministry is also planning to allow coal linkages without a specified end use, requiring changes to the Non-Regulated Sector (NRS) linkage auction policy of 2016. Auctions to NRS sub-sectors under the current policy will continue. In terms of quality assurance, the government will increase the grade conformity of Third Party Sampling beyond the current 80% achieved in FY25. The system, introduced in 2015, ensures quality at the loading end and now covers both power and non-power consumers. Currently, 12 agencies are empanelled for this task. A coal production and dispatch target of 203.4 MT has been set for FY26 from auctioned mines. The government plans to launch three auctions during the year and aims to successfully auction 25 mines. Twelve mines are expected to receive mine opening permissions, while seven may begin production. Amendments to the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, are proposed to implement new guidelines for mining and mine closure plans issued in January 2025. These changes would permit coverage beyond block boundaries and allow minor changes in plans with company board approval. To intensify coal exploration, a drilling target of 10 lakh meters has been set for FY26 under the Central Sector Scheme, NMET, CIL, and private sector. An outlay of ₹750 crore has been approved. Exploration efforts will focus on high GCV and coking coal areas and include revisions to guidelines for forest areas and seismic surveys. The ministry has set a target of producing 42 MT from underground coal mining in FY26. The strategy includes deployment of Continuous Miners, operationalising mines through Mine Developer and Operator (MDO) mode, and introducing revenue share rebates in commercial coal auctions. Land acquisition initiatives for FY26 include operationalising the Coal Land Acquisition and Management Portal (CLAMP), establishing a special tribunal in Talcher, amending the CBA (A&D) Act, 1957, and creating a land database under PM Gati Shakti. Mutation of 80% of CPSU-acquired land is also targeted.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- The Hindu
Transporting M-Sand, P-Sand, crushed stones without transit pass will be considered illegal, says Virudhunagar Collector
Illegal mining would attract criminal proceedings including registration of case by police and detention under Goondas Act Virudhunagar district administration has warned quarry owners of stringent action if any minerals like M-Sand, P-Sand and crushed stones were transported without the transit pass issued by the Department of Geology and Mines. Chairing a meeting with officials of various departments, Virudhunagar District Collector V.P. Jeyaseelan, said that it had come to his knowledge that these materials were being transported with mere GST Bill in absence of transit pass. Such shipment would be considered as illegal transportation under the provisions of Tamilnadu Prevention of Illegal Mining Transportation and Storage of Minerals and Mineral Dealer Rules, 2011. The officials from the Department of Geology and Mines, Department of Revenue, Police and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board would take action against them under the provisions of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR ACT 1957) and Tamilnadu Minor Mineral Concession Rule, 1959 (TNMMCR). Stating that no legal stay was in force against the issuance of transit pass, the Collector said that as per Tamil Nadu Prevention of Illegal Mining Transportation and Storage of Minerals and Mineral Dealer Rules, 2011 the storage units of minerals should submit a form seeking permits for stocking the minerals within a month. 'Failing to comply with the directive will the storage units would be permanently closed and the minerals stocked would be confiscated as illegal storage,' the Collector said. Besides, the owners would be imposed with fine amounts. The Collector advised the quarry owners to follow the procedures under Government Orders 50 and 14 for mining aluvial soil. Illegal mining of minerals, transportation were criminal offences under Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act The police could register cases under Section 303(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. The Collector also warned of detention of those who were found mining and smuggling of sand and other minerals under the Goondas Act.
