Ministry of Mines
Reserves and Extraction of Critical Minerals
Posted On:
24 MAR 2025 5:19PM by PIB Delhi
The cumulative resources of various critical minerals augmented by GSI since the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015 are as follows:
(in million tonne)
|
Sl. No
|
Ore of Commodity
|
Resource
|
Sl. No.
|
Ore of Commodity
|
Resource
|
|
1.
|
REE-RM
|
310.94
|
9.
|
Vanadium
|
116.46
|
|
2.
|
Niobium
|
282.0
|
10.
|
Molybdenum
|
3.6
|
|
3.
|
PGE
|
1.0
|
11.
|
Tungsten
|
21.5
|
|
4.
|
Graphite
|
72.91
|
12.
|
Lithium
|
12.3
|
|
5.
|
Glauconite/Potash
|
1496.0
|
13.
|
Nickel
|
4.8
|
|
6.
|
Phosphorite
|
31.88
|
14.
|
Cobalt
|
275 (tonne)
|
|
7.
|
Titanium
|
41.0
|
15.
|
Tin
|
3.0
|
|
8.
|
Gallium
|
74.0
|
|
|
|
As per the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Amendment Act, 2015, the State Governments conduct auction of mineral blocks. The MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 has empowered the Central Government to exclusively auction Mining Leases (ML) and Composite Licences (CL)(prospecting licence-cum-mining lease) in respect of any ‘critical and strategic mineral’ specified in Part D of the First Schedule of the MMDR Act. From 2020-21 till MMDR Amendment Act 2023, a total of 44 critical mineral blocks, (8 MLs and 36 CLs) were auctioned, out of which 20 critical mineral blocks (4 MLs and 16 CLs) were auctioned by State Governments. Post MMDR Amendment 2023, the Central Government has auctioned 24 critical mineral blocks (4 MLs and 20 CLs) till date.
The Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), a joint venture company under the Ministry of Mines has signed an Exploration and Development Agreement on 15.01.2024 with the State owned company of Catamarca province of Argentina, CAMYEN S A and has obtained exclusivity rights for exploration, development and mining in 5 brine type Lithium Blocks, covering an area of 15,703 hectares, in Fiambala division of Catamarca province of Argentina.
This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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Shuhaib T
(Release ID: 2114466)
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