Lok Sabha Question No. 3982 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Fast-Track Clearances for Critical-Mineral Mining
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3982 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## Fast-Track Clearances for Critical-Mineral Mining

## 3982.   SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the reasons for ''critical-minerals'' lane was added to PARIVESH 2.0 along with the date of incorporation of this change;
- (b) whether any steps mandated by the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), 2006 are waived off, if so, the details thereof along with legal basis;
- (c) the criteria for listing the 25  minerals  and  the  review  schedule  for  this  list;
- (d) the  reasons  for  linear  projects  extracting  >  20,000  m³  of  earth  are  exempted  from environmental clearance along with the safeguards in place for cumulative impact;
- (e) the  details  of  new  scrutiny  timelines  set  by  Central  and  State  Expert  Appraisal Committees (EACs); and
- (f) the  monitoring,  public  consultation  and  grievance  mechanisms  to  protect  forests, wildlife and local rights once fast-track clearances are granted?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) & (b)   Ministry of Mines through Office Memorandum (OM) dated 20.02.2025 requested the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to fast track Environmental Clearance proposals of Critical  and  Strategic mineral  mining  projects.  Vide  aforesaid  OM,  Ministry  of Mines stated that recent amendment in Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 2023 have been done with an objective to ensure self-sufficiency in supply of Critical minerals which are essential for advancement of many sectors including high-tech electronics, defence, etc.  It  is  also  stated  that  National  Critical  Mineral  Mission  has  been  approved  by  the  Union Cabinet.  The  Mission  encompasses  all  stages  of  the  critical  minerals  value  chain,  including mineral exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, and recovery from end-of-life products. The  mission  will  intensify  the  exploration  of  critical  minerals  within  the  country  and  in  its offshore  areas.  It  aims  to  create  a  fast  track  regulatory  approval  process  for  critical  mineral mining projects.

Accordingly,  to  facilitate  the  grant  of  Terms  of  Reference  (ToR)  and  Environmental Clearance (EC) to Critical and Strategic mineral mining proposals, this Ministry vide OM dated 13.03.2025 informed Ministry of Mines that a provision has already been made in the application form with inclusion of sub activity related to Critical and Strategic mineral on the Parivesh portal of the Ministry.

Further, a sub category named mining of Critical minerals has also been added under major category of Mining on Parivesh to ease the tracking and monitoring of these proposals submitted under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam 1980 for prior approval of the Central Government.

- (c) As per the information received from Ministry of Mines, the Central Government has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 [MMDR Act, 1957] through  the  MMDR  Amendment  Act,  2023  with  effect  from  17.08.2023.  Through  the  said amendment, the Central Government has been empowered to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for 24 Critical minerals listed in the new Part-D of the First Schedule to the said Act, which includes minerals such as Lithium, Nickel, Tungsten, Titanium, Graphite, etc. These 24 minerals have been specified as Critical and Strategic minerals primarily because of lack of resources within India and supply risk because of concentration of production and supply in limited geographies around the world. These minerals are vital for the development of India's  industrial  and  technological  advancement  and  also  to  power  the  transition  to  a  lowemission economy, and the renewable technologies that will be required to meet the 'Net Zero' commitment of India by 2070. So far, the Central Government has successfully auctioned 34 mineral blocks of critical and strategic minerals in the country.

(d) Large linear projects such as construction of highways, railway lines, etc., require large quantities of earth during their construction.

The Ministry, in consultation with the concerned Ministries and Experts, issued a detailed SOP along with necessary environmental safeguards vide Notification No. S.O. 1223(E) dated 17.03.2025 for the extraction, sourcing, or borrowing of ordinary earth for linear projects by amending the EIA Notification, 2006.

- (e) Timelines  for  disposal  of  applications  of  Terms  of  Reference  and  for  appraisal  of applications of Environmental Clearances have been specified under EIA Notification, 2006.
- (f) The 'land' is a subject matter of the State Government. The forest areas and the legal boundaries  thereof  are  determined  and  maintained  by  the  concerned  State  Government.  The primary responsibility of protection of forests from various threats including encroachment/violation  lies  with  the  respective  States  and  Union  Territories  (UTs).  The respective  State  Governments  and  Union  Territories  Administrations  take  action  against  the illegal possession of forest land, as per the extant acts, rules and regulations made there under. The State Governments and Administrations, besides taking legal actions against encroachment/violation  as  per  the  extant  acts,  rules  and  regulations,  also  take  various  other measures such as demarcation and digitization of forest boundaries, strengthening infrastructure for forest protection, involving fringe area forest communities such as Joint Forest Management Committees,  Eco  Development  Committees  etc.  to  prevent  and  control  encroachments. Moreover, any violations of the provisions of Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 are dealt as per section 3A and 3B of the Adhiniyam.

*****