Jaipur, 30 May: In light of the rising global demand for critical minerals, the Government of India is prioritizing mineral exploration. To this end, both central and state mineral exploration agencies are now being joined by private exploration experts in this effort.
Union Mines Secretary Shri V. L. Kantharao, speaking at a program in Jaipur on Friday, stated that the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) has registered 35 notified private exploration agencies across the country, out of which 20 have already started exploration activities in Rajasthan and other states. Praising Rajasthan for being the most progressive state in the mining sector, he congratulated the state for conducting the highest number of auctions of major mineral blocks.
The Union Secretary held a meeting at the Rajasthan Industries Corporation (RIC) in Jaipur with key state officials including Mines Principal Secretary Shri T. Ravikant, representatives from mining associations, preferred bidders, and central and state government departments and agencies. He emphasized that such meetings aim to promote mining as a top priority for both central and state governments and to discuss ways to operationalize auctioned mines quickly.
He mentioned the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission by the Central Government, which focuses on encouraging exploration, operations, processing, R&D collaboration, and recycling in the mining sector. He noted that financial support from NMET, R&D funds for processing, and incentives for recycling companies have been provisioned to boost these efforts.
Shri Kantharao expressed pride in Rajasthan's leading position in the auction of major mineral blocks. He acknowledged delays in the operationalization of auctioned mines due to multiple approvals and formalities and said the government is actively working to resolve these issues. The goal of direct dialogue with leaseholders, LOI holders, and mining associations is to identify practical challenges and find workable solutions. He highlighted the importance of strong coordination among central and state agencies and stakeholders, including GSI, MECL, IBM, DGMS, and state forest and environment departments, urging regular seminars and workshops to keep stakeholders informed of the latest developments.
Principal Secretary Shri T. Ravikant noted that Rajasthan is taking concrete steps to accelerate exploration, delineation, auctions, and operations in the mining sector. As a result, the state has auctioned 88 major mineral blocks, making it the top-performing state in India. He added that the state's new mineral policy, M-sand policy, and simplification of regulations are already yielding positive results.
Mines Director Shri Deepak Tanwar gave a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the auction blocks and their progress, highlighting key points.
Other key attendees included:
Dr. Ashish Saxena, Deputy Secretary, Mines, Government of India
Shri Arun Prasad, FCA Nodal Officer
Shri Vijay N., Member Secretary, SEIAA
Shri Anindya Bhattacharya, Dy. General Manager, GSI
Shri Indradev Narayan, CMD, MECL
Shri Chandresh Bohra, Regional Controller, IBM
Senior officials from the Department of Mines and Geology
During discussions with mining association representatives, Neem Ka Thana MLA Shri Suresh Modi raised demands for resolving sector-related issues. The representatives suggested:
Granting mining sector the status of an industry
Supporting revival of non-operational leases instead of canceling them
Ensuring DMFT funds are used in mining-affected areas
Creating a land bank
Addressing practical issues faced by small leaseholders
Marking mining zones clearly in revenue records
Auctioned mine representatives also discussed the challenges and requirements for operationalizing the awarded blocks.
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