The Ministry of Mines has proposed changes to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015, to cap the amount of performance security and upfront payments payable after winning the rights to extract minerals. The move addresses concerns regarding financial barriers the might impede bidder participation in auctions of critical minerals.

The Ministry of Mines on December 01, 2023, issued the Draft Minerals (Other than Atomic and Hydro Carbons Energy Mineral) Concession (Second Amendment) Rules, 2023, to further amend the Minerals (Other than Atomic and Hydro Carbons Energy Mineral) Concession Rules, 2016.

The Ministry of Mines has decided to promote Research and Innovation in Start-ups and MSMEs and has brought out guidelines for “Promotion of Research and Innovation in Start-ups and MSMEs in mining, mineral processing, metallurgy and recycling sector (S&T-PRISM)”.

Central Government vide notification dated 12th October, 2023 has issued the Minerals (Other than Atomic and Hydro Carbons Energy Mineral) Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2023 to provide following directions regarding pricing atomic minerals: In the Mine In respect of Lithium, the equivalent lithium metal prices calculated on the basis of the week

With misclassification of different grades of minerals by mining leaseholders found to be at the root of illegal mining, the Union mines ministry has tightened the procedure to be followed by states for grading and determining the average sale price (ASP) of iron ore and other major minerals.

In a recent development, the Ministry of Mines has introduced significant amendments to the Atomic Minerals Concession Rules, 2016. These amendments, effective upon their publication in the Official Gazette, impact mining activities related to atomic minerals and rare earth elements (REE).

The state government notified the policy for regulating iron ore dump handling in the state of Goa, 2023, as a step towards mining of iron ore dumps and earning revenue. The policy allows the directorate of mines and geology (DMG) to auction all existing dumps created from mining activities as on date.

While the state government is preparing for the third round of iron ore mineral blocks, the Union mines ministry has tightened the Mineral Auction Rules, 2015 to make it compulsory for states to inform to the Centre within the next 45 days on mines that are ready for auctioning.

These Guidelines seek to provide renewed scientific impetus to address the emerging mining challenges, broaden the participation of stakeholders, introduce the concept of cost-sharing and make the research in Mines more productive, with an emphasis on outputs and outcomes.

The “Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023” brings substantial changes to regulations governing mineral development in offshore areas. This analysis delves into each amendment’s implications and the Act’s broader impact on mineral resource management.