About Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025:
- The bill will amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
- The Bill provides that leaseholders may apply to the state government for adding other minerals to an existing lease.
- For inclusion of critical and strategic minerals and other specified minerals, no additional amount needs to be paid.
- These include minerals such as lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, gold, and silver.
- The Act establishes the National Mineral Exploration Trust to fund mineral exploration in the country. The Bill widens the scope of the Trust to also fund the development of mines and minerals.
- Under the Act, captive mines are allowed to sell up to 50 percent of minerals produced in a year, after meeting end-use requirements. The Bill removes the limit on the sale of minerals.
- The Bill allows for a one-time extension of the area under a mining or composite lease.
- This will be applicable for deep-seated minerals. Deep-seated minerals are minerals which occur at a depth of more than 200 metres from the surface of land.
- The Bill provides for establishing an authority to register and regulate mineral exchanges.
- The Bill defines mineral exchange as a registered electronic trading platform or marketplace for trading minerals and metals.
- The central government will frame rules regarding mineral exchanges on matters including:
- manner of registration
- levy of fees and other charges
- prevention of insider trading and market manipulation
- grievance redressal.
