Lok Sabha Question No. 5320 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: GSI Next Generation Portal
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal, Shri Damodar Agrawal, Dr. Bhola Singh, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram, Shri Ananta Nayak, Shri Mahesh Kashyap, Shri Khagen Murmu, Shri Dharambir Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †5320 ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## GSI NEXT GENERATION PORTAL

†5320.   SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR:

SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL:

SHRI DAMODAR AGRAWAL:

DR. BHOLA SINGH:

DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA:

SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

SHRI ANANTA NAYAK:

SHRI MAHESH KASHYAP:

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

SHRI DHARAMBIR SINGH:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a)    whether  the  Government has successfully launched the GSI Next-Generation (NG) Portal to provide Industry and research institutions cloud-enabled, AI-based data analysis for mineral exploration and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)   the manner in which the National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) portal has increased investment and improved the Ease of Doing Business benefiting even industrial States like Gujarat;
- (c)   the success milestones of the Tranche-II Exploration Licence (EL) auctions and the  number  of  private  firms  that  have  been  onboarded  for  deep-seated  mineral search; (d)   whether the National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust (NMEDT) has successfully completed its target of 327 exploration projects as of early 2026 and if so, the details thereof; (e)   the steps taken to strengthen private sector participation in mineral exploration in the country; (f)   whether the Government has taken steps to strengthen mineral exploration and data accessibility in Odisha particularly in Keonjhar Lok Sabha constituency and if so, the details thereof; (g)   whether any mineral exploration or geological surveys are proposed in Haryana including Bhiwani-Mahendergarh region and if so, the details thereof; and (h)  the  details  of  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  rare  earth  mineral
- exploration in the Country?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL AND MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY)

(a): Yes. The Next-Generation (NG) Portal of Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been launched on 12.02.2026.

(b): The National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) portal hosts over 18,400 exploration and baseline reports along with 47 map services as well as spatial data layers generated by various stakeholder agencies. The NGDR portal has improved the  Ease  of  Doing  Business, benefiting  even  industrial  States  like  Gujarat, by providing a centralized digital platform for seamless and free access to geoscience & mineral exploration reports and datasets on a single geospatial platform to both public and private stakeholders, thereby enhancing data accessibility and transparency. The portal  is  widely  utilized  by  the  Notified  Exploration  Agencies  including  private exploration  agencies,  for  informed  decision-making  in  developing  new  exploration project proposals for submission to National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust  (NMEDT)  for  funding.  Further,  the  NGDR  portal  is  also  used  by  bidders  of Composite Licence (CL) and Exploration Licence (EL) to analyse and ascertain the prospects of the CL/EL blocks before submission of their bids.

(c): The Tranche-II for EL blocks was launched on 12.02.2026.

(d):  Yes.  As  on  date  327  projects  have  been  completed  through  funding  by  the NMEDT. The details of these projects are as follows:

| S.No.   | Nature of Project                                                                |   No. of Projects |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
| 1.      | Baseline Survey projects                                                         |                09 |
| 2.      | Mineral exploration projects                                                     |               302 |
| 3.      | Procurement of machinery/ laboratory equipment/ instruments, etc.                |                13 |
| 4.      | Research and innovation projects under S&T PRISM Scheme of the Ministry of Mines |                02 |
| 5.      | Special studies for recycling of critical minerals                               |                01 |
|         | Total                                                                            |               327 |

(e): In order to strengthen the participation of private sector in mineral exploration in the country, private  mineral  exploration agencies  are  notified by  the Central Government subsequent to the amendments in the second proviso to Section 4(1) of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act in 2021. Till date, a total of 44 private exploration agencies have been notified. As provisioned in the MMDR Act, 1957,  these  Notified  Private  Exploration  Agencies  (NPEAs)  are  eligible  to  receive funding from the NMEDT.

Since 2021-22, a large number of mineral blocks have been auctioned as Composite Licence (CL) which requires the CL holder to undertake exploration before executing the  mining  lease.  Further,  in  order  to  encourage  private  sector  participation  in exploration of 29 critical and deep-seated minerals specified in the Seventh Schedule, a new mining concession viz. EL has been introduced through MMDR Amendment Act, 2023. The EL is given through auction.

NMEDT has launched following initiatives to strengthen the private sector participating in mineral exploration in the country:

- i )    100% funding for mineral exploration projects of NPEAs.
- ii)   Support for holders of EL and CL by reimbursement of exploration expenses up to 50% of the total expenditure incurred.
- iii)  Exploration  incentive  of  25%  of  the  approved  projects  cost  of  the  G4  items  for critical, strategic and deep-seated minerals to the exploration agencies if the block is successfully upgraded to G3 stage.
- (f):  Yes.  GSI,  from  field  season  2021-22  to  2025-26,  carried  out  121  mineral exploration projects in Odisha on various mineral commodities including 16 projects in Keonjhar  district  for  manganese,  gold,  iron  ore,  bauxite,  nickel  etc.  Since  MMDR Amendment  Act  2015,  GSI  has  augmented  resources  of  iron  ore  (642.72  million tonnes), manganese (2.70 million tonnes), gold (0.02 million tonnes) and bauxite (1.23 million tonnes) in Keonjhar district.  Further, from 2021-2022, NMEDT has funded 43 mineral exploration projects in Odisha including 3 projects for iron ore and 2 projects for gold in Keonjhar district.

As regards steps to strengthen data accessibility, a total of 1459 reports of GSI and other stakeholders are available on the NGDR portal for the State of Odisha which include 235 exploration and baseline reports of Keonjhar district. Apart from this, other geoscientific map services like geological, geomorphological, geochemical, geophysical and other maps and datasets are also freely accessible and downloadable for Keonjhar district.

- (g): The GSI took up three mineral exploration items in Haryana during field season 2025-26. The details are as follows:
- (h): In order to promote rare earth mineral exploration in the country, GSI, from field season 2021-22 to 2023-24, took up 166 mineral exploration projects targeting Rare Earth Elements (REEs). GSI has also intensified exploration of critical and strategic minerals including REEs in the country and during field season 2024-25, it took up 78 mineral exploration projects on REEs followed by 92 projects on REEs in field season 2025-26. Further, GSI has also launched the Critical Mineral Assessment programme (CMAP) in 2024-25 to assess the potentiality of secondary enrichment for critical and strategic minerals, including REEs. Till date, 27 CMAP projects have been taken up in different  parts  of  the  country.  Furthermore,  since  inception,  the  NMEDT  has sanctioned 77 projects for REEs in the country which include 07 projects in 2023-24, 22 projects in 2024-25 and 41 projects in 2025-26. In addition, under the EL regime, till date, 7 EL blocks have been auctioned including 2 blocks for REEs.

|   Sl. No. | District                       | Name of Mineral Block / Area/ Belt   | UNFC Stage   | Commodity   |
|-----------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------|-------------|
|         1 | Mahendragarh and Charkhi dadri | Badhwana- Jhojhu kalan               | G4           | Copper      |
|         2 | Bhiwani                        | Nigana Khurd, Dhani, Riwasa          | G4           | Copper      |
|         3 | Charkhi Dadri                  | Mankawas, Kaliyana, Khedi            | G4           | Copper      |

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