Lok Sabha Question No. 364 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-27
Subject: Critical Minerals
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Prabhakar Reddy Vemireddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.364

ANSWERED ON 27.11.2024

## CRITICAL MINERALS

364   SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY VEMIREDDY:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

a) whether the Government has conducted any recent study/survey on the availability of critical minerals in the country during the last five years;

(b)  if  so,  the  details  regarding  the  identified  critical  minerals  and  their  estimated quantities across the country, State-wise especially in Andhra Pradesh;

(c) the details regarding the presently running mines and the projects proposed by the Government  during  the  last  five  years,  State-  wise  especially  in Andhra  Pradesh, Nellore district;

(d)  whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  classify  any  minor  minerals  as  major minerals. and if so, the details thereof;

(e)  the  details  regarding  the  total  funds  allocated  and  utilised  for  the  exploration, extraction  and  processing  of  critical  minerals  in  the  country  particularly  in Andhra Pradesh during the last five years; and

(f)  the  details  of  steps  undertaken  by  the  Government  to  reduce  dependency  on foreign imports of critical minerals and their success in improving domestic supply of critical minerals?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) & (b): Yes. Geological Survey of India carries out reconnaissance surveys (G4), preliminary  exploration  (G3)  and  general  exploration  (G2)  for  various  mineral commodities including critical minerals in different parts of the country as per annual field season programme, following MEMC Rules, 2015 and subsequent amendments.  Since  field  season  of  2020-21  to  2023-24,  GSI  has  taken  up  433 mineral exploration projects to assess the mineral potential of various critical minerals e.g.  Rare  Earth  Elements  (REE),  Rare  Metals  (Rare  Metals),  Tin,  Tungsten, Chromium,  Platinum  Group  Of  Elements  (PGE),  Titanium,  Vanadium,  Tungsten, Lithium,  Molybdenum,  Nickel,  Scandium,  Barite,  Glauconite,  Graphite,  Potash, Phosphate etc. across the country. During the current field season 2024-25, GSI has taken up 195 mineral exploration projects across the country to assess the mineral potential  of  critical  minerals.  The  state-wise  details  of  resources  augmented  for various  critical  minerals  by  GSI  since  MMDR  Amendment Act,  2015  is  given  in Annexure-I.

(c): There is no mine of critical minerals running in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The State-wise details of mines of critical minerals are given below:

| Mineral / State   | Working   | Non-Working   |   Total |
|-------------------|-----------|---------------|---------|
| Beryl             | -         | 2             |       2 |
| Rajasthan         | -         | 2             |       2 |
| Graphite          | 10        | 17            |      27 |
| Chhattisgarh      | 1         | -             |       1 |
| Jharkhand         | 2         | 9             |      11 |
| Karnataka         | -         | 2             |       2 |
| Kerala            | -         | 1             |       1 |
| Odisha            | 6         | -             |       6 |
| Tamil Nadu        | 1         | 5             |       6 |
| Tin               | 6         | 11            |      17 |
| Chhattisgarh      | 6         | 8             |      14 |
| Odisha            | -         | 3             |       3 |

Further, the details of the projects on strategic and critical minerals taken up by GSI  during  the  last  five  years  in  Andhra  Pradesh,  including  Nellore  are  given  at Annexure-II.

(d): At present no such proposal has been finalised.

- (e):   The details regarding the total funds allocated and utilised during the last five years by GSI for mineral exploration including critical minerals in the country during the last five years and particularly in Andhra Pradesh are as stated below:

(Rs. in crore)

| Financial Year                                    |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 (upto 15.11.24) |
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------|
| Total Fund Allocation                             |     32.05 |     54.6  |     63    |     66.15 |                     65.75 |
| Total Fund Utilization                            |     31.92 |     54.47 |     62.93 |     66.06 |                     48.54 |
| Fund Allocation particularly for Andhra Pradesh.  |      0.57 |      1.25 |      1.17 |      1.56 |                      1.07 |
| Fund Utilization particularly for Andhra Pradesh. |      0.57 |      1.25 |      1.16 |      1.56 |                      0.96 |

(f):  As part of the Union Budget 2024-25 announcement, import duties on 25 critical minerals have been eliminated which will improve supply chain for the user industry. Further, setting up of a Critical Mineral Mission for domestic production, recycling of critical  minerals,  and  overseas  acquisition  of  critical  mineral  assets  has  also  been announced.

Furthermore, to secure domestic supply of critical minerals essential for advanced technologies, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 has been amended through the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 which has introduced major reforms in mining viz. inserting 24 critical & strategic minerals in Part D of the First Schedule to the MMDR Act, 1957 and empowering Central Government to exclusively auction mineral concessions for these critical minerals.

*****

State-wise details of cumulative resource augmented by GSI (state-wise) at various cut-off and grades since MMDR Amendment Act, 2015 for various critical and strategic mineral commodities

| State             | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   |
|-------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|                   | REE-RM                                 | Niobium                                | PGE                                    | Graphite                               | Glauconite/ Potash                     | Phosphorite                            | Titanium                               | Gallium                                | Vanadium                               | Molybdenum                             | Tungsten                               | Lithium                                | Nickel                                 | Cobalt (in tonne)                      | Tin                                    |
| Assam             | 30.51                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Andhra Pradesh    |                                        |                                        |                                        | 0.4 3                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Arunachal Pradesh |                                        |                                        |                                        | 13. 6                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 0.38                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Bihar             | 5.84                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        | 300                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Chhattisgarh      |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 4.14                                   | 20                                     |                                        | 30. 5                                  | 11.6                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Gujarat           | 192.67                                 | 282                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Haryana           |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 1.35                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        | 3                                      |
| Jharkhand         | 0.009                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        | 138.27                                 |                                        | 28. 7                                  | 12. 9                                  | 17.73                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Jammu & Kashmir   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 5.9                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Karnataka         | 0.75                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 2.4                                    | 275                                    |                                        |
| Kerala            |                                        |                                        | 0.3                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 0.2                                    |                                        |                                        |
| Maharashtra       | 0.046                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Madhya Pradesh    |                                        |                                        |                                        | 15                                     | 23.91                                  |                                        |                                        | 28. 7                                  | 38.67                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Odisha            |                                        |                                        |                                        | 0.9 9                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 2.1                                    |                                        |                                        |
| Rajasthan         |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 354.02                                 |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 20.12                                  | 6.4                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Uttar Pradesh     | 0.342                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        | 9.66                                   |                                        | 12. 6                                  | 2.5                                    | 2.72                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Tamil Nadu        |                                        |                                        | 0.7                                    | 2.0 2                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 1.7                                    | 0.07                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| West Bengal       | 0.67                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Total             | 230                                    | 282                                    | 1                                      | 32                                     | 830                                    | 20                                     | 41                                     | 74                                     | 71                                     | 1.7                                    | 21.5                                   | 12.3                                   | 4.7                                    | 275 tonne                              | 3                                      |

Annexure-II List of projects on strategic and critical minerals taken up by GSI in Andhra

## Pradesh for last five years

| Sl. No               | District                                | Name of Mineral Block / Area/ Belt    | UNFC Stage           | Mineral Commodity      |
|----------------------|-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|------------------------|
| Field Season 2020-21 | Field Season 2020-21                    | Field Season 2020-21                  | Field Season 2020-21 | Field Season 2020-21   |
| 1                    | Anantapur                               | Balepalyam- Ramagiri                  | G4                   | Tungsten               |
| 2                    | Kadapa                                  | Mangampeta                            | G4                   | baryte                 |
| 3                    | Chittoor                                | Bisanattam-Gudipalli-Sanganapalli     | G4                   | Molybdenum             |
| Field Season 2021-22 | Field Season 2021-22                    | Field Season 2021-22                  | Field Season 2021-22 | Field Season 2021-22   |
| 4                    | East Godavari                           | Burugubanda                           | G2                   | Graphite               |
| 5                    | Anantapur                               | Charupalle-Kalasamudram-Batrepalle    | G4                   | Molybdenum, gold       |
| 6                    | Kadapa                                  | Pullampet-Vattaluru                   | G4                   | Phosphorite            |
| 7                    | Anantpur and Kadapa                     | Parnapalle-Lopatanutula               | G4                   | Lithium                |
| 8                    | Anantapur                               | CR Palle-Indukurupalle                | G4                   | Molybdenum, gold       |
| 9                    | Nellore                                 | Chinna Varimadugu-Kanduravaripalle    | G4                   | Molybdenum, REE, RM    |
| 10                   | Anantapur                               | Obaganapalli-Mushtivarlamanda         | G4                   | REE, RM                |
| 11                   | West Godavari                           | Velagapadu                            | G4                   | REE                    |
| Field Season 2022-23 | Field Season 2022-23                    | Field Season 2022-23                  | Field Season 2022-23 | Field Season 2022-23   |
| 12                   | Kurnool                                 | Lanjabanda-Govardhanagiri             | G4                   | Molybdenum             |
| 13                   | YSR Kadapa                              | Uppaluru                              | G3                   | Cobalt, Nickel, Copper |
| 14                   | Chittoor                                | Chillamakulapalle - Narsimharajupuram | G4                   | REE                    |
| 15                   | West Godavari                           | Kottapalle                            | G4                   | REE                    |
| 16                   | Kadapa                                  | Khajipeta-Nandyalampeta               | G4                   | Phosphorite            |
| 17                   | Kadapa                                  | Chennur                               | G4                   | Phosphorite            |
| 18                   | Vizianagaram                            | Parasam-Garudabilli                   | G4                   | Graphite, Manganese    |
| 19                   | Anantapur                               | Balepalyam                            | G3                   | Tungsten               |
| 20                   | Vizianagaram                            | Garividi                              | G4                   | REE, Manganese         |
| 21                   | Nellore                                 | Ayyagaripalem-Palicherlapadu          | G4                   | REE, RM                |
| Field Season 2023-24 | Field Season 2023-24                    | Field Season 2023-24                  | Field Season 2023-24 | Field Season 2023-24   |
| 22                   | East Godavari                           | Utla                                  | G3                   | Graphite               |
| 23                   | Anantapur                               | Kambaduru-Aiparsipalli                | G4                   | REE, RM                |
| 24                   | Alluri Sitharama Raju and East Godavari | Narasapuram-Nellipudi                 | G4                   | Graphite               |
| 25                   | Chittoor and Annamayya                  | Sorakayalapeta-Tummanaguntapalle      | G4                   | REE                    |
| 26                   | Nellore                                 | Podilikonda and Kanigiri              | G4                   | REE, RM                |
| 27                   | Prakasam                                | Chalivendra-Marlapalem                | G4                   | REE, RM                |
| 28                   | Annamayya and Kolar                     | Surapuvaripalle-Kottapalli            | G4                   | REE                    |
| 29                   | NTR and Palnadu                         | Jayantipuram-Vedadri                  | G4                   | Cobalt                 |

| 30                   | Eluru                               | Mulagalampalli             | G4                   | REE                  |
|----------------------|-------------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Field Season 2024-25 | Field Season 2024-25                | Field Season 2024-25       | Field Season 2024-25 | Field Season 2024-25 |
| 1                    | Eluru                               | Aliveru-Doramamidi         | G4                   | Graphite             |
| 2                    | Vizianagaram and Alluri Sitaramraju | Korlam-Budatanapalli       | G4                   | Graphite, Manganese  |
| 3                    | Y.S.R Kadapa                        | Murrichintala-Venkatapuram | G4                   | Lithium              |
| 4                    | Nandyal and Ananthapuramu           | Kommamarri-Racherla        | G4                   | Phosphorite          |
| 5                    | Nellore                             | Kottapalem-Chamadala       | G4                   | REE                  |
| 6                    | Kurnool                             | Guduluru-Bollavarame       | G4                   | Tin, Tungsten, RM    |
| 7                    | Annamayya                           | Endapally                  | G4                   | REE, RM              |
| 8                    | Vijayanagaram and Visakhapatnam     | Chelluru-Savaravilli       | G4                   | REE                  |