Lok Sabha Question No. 4160 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-26
Subject: Monitoring of Auctioned Mines
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Shyamkumar Daulat Barve

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †4160

ANSWERED ON 26.03.2025

## MONITORING OF AUCTIONED MINES

†4160. SHRI SHYAMKUMAR DAULAT BARVE:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has identified 30 critical minerals including lithium to meet the growing demand of its energy transition, industries and infrastructure sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to set up a Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) to monitor the operation of nearly 500 major mineral and coal mines auctioned since 2015 and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the  International  Energy  Agency  to  develop  cooperation  framework  on  critical minerals, essential materials used in clean energy technologies and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The  Government  of  India  has  identified  a  set  of  24  critical  and  strategic minerals  including  lithium  to  meet  the  growing  demand  of  its  energy  transition, industries  and  infrastructure  sector.  List  (Annexure-I)  of  these  minerals  has  been included as Part-D of First Schedule of the MMDR Act, 1957.
- (b) The Government has already established Project Monitoring Units (PMUs) to accelerate  the  operationalization  of  auctioned  blocks  by  facilitating  the  approval process for key statutory clearances. So far, 457 major mineral blocks and 131 coal blocks have been successfully auctioned across various states.
- (c) An MoU has been signed between Ministry of Mines, Government of India and the International Energy Agency (IEA) on cooperation in the area of critical minerals on 13 November, 2024. The areas of cooperation under the MoU include:
- i. exchange and development of data and statistics, best practice, policy tracking tools as well as collaboration on improving data collection;
- ii. modelling and analysis; and
- iii. any other areas, as agreed to in writing by both Parties.

******

## Annexure-I

| Critical and Strategic Minerals specified in Part D of First Schedule of the MMDR Act [24 minerals]   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1. Beryl and other beryllium bearing minerals.                                                        |
| 2. Cadmium bearing minerals.                                                                          |
| 3. Cobalt bearing minerals.                                                                           |
| 4. Gallium bearing minerals.                                                                          |
| 5. Glauconite.                                                                                        |
| 6. Graphite.                                                                                          |
| 7. Indium bearing minerals.                                                                           |
| 8. Lithium bearing minerals.                                                                          |
| 9. Molybdenum bearing minerals.                                                                       |
| 10. Nickel bearing minerals.                                                                          |
| 11. Niobium bearing minerals.                                                                         |
| 12. Phosphate (without uranium).                                                                      |
| 13. Platinum group of elements bearing minerals.                                                      |
| 14. Potash.                                                                                           |
| 15. Minerals of the "rare earths" group not containing Uranium and Thorium.                           |
| 16. Rhenium bearing minerals.                                                                         |
| 17. Selenium bearing minerals.                                                                        |
| 18. Tantalum bearing minerals.                                                                        |
| 19. Tellurium bearing minerals.                                                                       |
| 20. Tin bearing minerals.                                                                             |
| 21. Titanium bearing minerals and ores (ilmenite, rutile and leucoxene).                              |
| 22. Tungsten bearing minerals.                                                                        |
| 23. Vanadium bearing minerals.                                                                        |
| 24. Zirconium-bearing minerals and ores including zircon.                                             |