The Lok Sabha, passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment bill 2021 on March 19, 2021. The bill was passed through a voice vote. The Bill seeks to amend the Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 and provide for the removal of the distinction between captive and merchant mines. The bill will empower the central government to issue directions regarding the composition and utilization of funds maintained by the District Mineral Foundation. It also states that captive mines other than atomic minerals may sell up to 50 percent of their annual mineral production in the open market after meeting their own needs.