|
Coking Coal Notified as Critical and Strategic Mineral Under MMDR Act, 1957
Coking coal is included in Part D of the First Schedule of the MMDR Act, 1957, which lists Critical and Strategic Minerals. The decision recognises its strategic role in mineral security and domestic steel sector requirements and is relevant amid high import dependence for coking coal.
Coking Coal as Critical and Strategic Mineral under MMDR Act, 1957:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Schedule classification | Part D of First Schedule of MMDR Act comprises Critical and Strategic Minerals |
| Import dependence | Around 95% of coking coal requirement of steel sector is met through imports |
| Administrative effect | Provides for faster approvals, improves ease of doing business, and accelerates exploration and mining activities including of deep-seated deposits |
| Industrial use | Used as vital raw material in steel production through blast furnace route; also used in cement, chemicals, petrochemicals industries |
| Reserves | Estimated 37.37 billion tonnes of reserves, mainly in Jharkhand, and in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh |
| Challenges | Comprises insufficient domestic production, high ash content and surface levels, legacy mine issues like underground fires and land subsidence, limited geological data, land acquisition challenges |
| Initiatives | Mission Coking Coal, 100% FDI in commercial coal mining, revenue-sharing auctions, 39 First Mile Connectivity Projects |
| Union Government role | Authorises the Union Government to make laws concerning regulation of mines and development of mineral resources |
| District Mineral Foundation | Established under MMDR Act for welfare of people and areas affected by mining |
| National Mineral Exploration Trust | Established under MMDR Act to give thrust to exploration and curb illegal mining |
| MMDR Act amendments (2023) | Provides for omission of 6 minerals from list of 12 atomic minerals; empowers central government to exclusively auction mineral concessions for critical minerals; introduces exploration license for deep-seated and critical minerals |