The move involves testing of overburden, waste dumping, tailings, and rejects, which are often regarded as mineral waste after the process of mining is completed.
While the policy for the extraction of critical minerals through tailings has already been announced, the process will come into effect within three months. Mines Secretary VL Kantha Rao said that by June 2025, all mines will have to mandatorily conduct testing for critical minerals from their dumps.
Last week, India mandated the declaration of the existence of critical minerals even for minor mineral leases. The move aimed at maximising exploration, identification, scientific extraction, and production of critical minerals had classified Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz as major minerals.
Till then, the leases of Quartz, Felspar and Mica were granted as minor mineral leases, implying that leaseholders neither declared the existence of critical minerals nor extracted them, as their primary objective was to use them as minor minerals for construction, glass/ceramic making, etc. Consequently, the critical minerals associated with these minerals were neither getting extracted nor reported.
While the Mines Ministry indicated that the auction of limestone blocks in J&K in March 2025 will entail more revenue and jobs for its residents, a team from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) will conduct further exploration of Lithium in J&K and weekly consultations will be carried out in the Union Territory.
While imports of 25 critical minerals have been exempted from duty, the Ministries of External Affairs, Commerce and Industry and Mines are collectively examining the impact of a possible rise in tariffs on Indian exports of Steel and Aluminium and imports of Copper.
