PRS
·
Ministry of Mines
·
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act: Exploration Licenses for Critical Minerals
Distilled Policy Brief
- Introduces Exploration Licences (EL) granted through competitive auction for reconnaissance and prospecting of 29 critical and deep-seated minerals.
- Removes six minerals (including Lithium, Beryllium, Titanium, and Zirconium) from the atomic minerals list, enabling private sector extraction.
- Empowers the Central Government to exclusively auction composite mining leases for critical offshore and strategic onshore mineral blocks.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
Lithium delisted from atomic minerals list; Exploration Licence valid for 5 years (extendable by 2); Central Government conducts auctions for critical minerals.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Strategic imperative of domestic critical mineral supply chains for India's clean energy transition and semiconductor mission. Role of private junior exploration firms.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.
Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.