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Up to date: Aug 13, 2026 13:05 IST
New Delhi [India], August 13 (ANI): In a significant enhance to India’s essential mineral sector, the Mines and Minerals (Improvement and Regulation) Modification Invoice, 2026, is cleared by the Rajya Sabha. Earlier the invoice was cleared by Lok Sabha on Monday. It’s going to change into legislation after receiving the President’s assent.
Mines and Minerals (Improvement and Regulation) Modification Invoice, 2026 [MMDR Amendment Bill], proposed a collection of adjustments to the present mining framework, which additionally consists of permitting leaseholders so as to add a number of minerals to an present mining lease, increasing the scope of mineral exploration funding and eradicating the cap on the sale of minerals from captive mines.
Moreover, the Invoice proposes amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Improvement and Regulation) Act, 1957, aimed toward facilitating mineral exploration and growth, significantly of essential and strategic minerals, whereas giving larger flexibility to mining lease holders.
Underneath the proposed adjustments, holders of mining leases for particular minerals shall be allowed to method state governments to incorporate extra minerals of their present leases. Additionally, no extra fee shall be required for the inclusion of essential and strategic minerals and different specified minerals, together with lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, gold and silver.
On the identical time, leaseholders should pay an quantity equal to the relevant royalty for different minerals. Within the case of auctioned mines, they will even need to pay the public sale premium relevant to the extra mineral. Nevertheless, the Centre could modify these fee necessities by means of notification.
The Invoice additionally offers for the inclusion of minor minerals in leases granted for main minerals, with the state authorities empowered to find out the relevant royalty and different funds. Minor minerals embrace constructing stones, gravel, sand and different minerals notified by the Centre.
For main minerals to be included in minor mineral leases, the Centre will prescribe circumstances by means of Guidelines. Nevertheless, atomic minerals exceeding a specified grade is not going to be permitted in leases granted for non-atomic minerals.
The laws additionally seeks to widen the mandate of the Nationwide Mineral Exploration Belief, which at present funds mineral exploration. (ANI)
