The Ministry of Mines issued Notification No. S.O. 423(E) on February 10, 2015, reclassifying 31 major minerals as minor minerals. This was executed under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act, 2015, devolving administrative and regulatory powers over these minerals directly to individual State Governments. FMAR played a pioneer role in this historic legal development.
Key Impacts and Devolutions
- State Ownership: Empowered states to design their own frameworks and issue quarrying/mining leases.
- Simplified Administration: Transferred regulatory responsibilities from the central framework under the MMDR Act to state-level administrative bodies like the State Directorates of Mines and Geology.
- Regulatory Frameworks: States updated their local policies and created modernized minor mineral.
The Ministry of Mines reclassified Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz from the “minor” to the “major” mineral category. This reclassification was officially notified in February 2025 following the approval of the National Critical Mineral Mission.
Key Details & Impact of the Transfer
- Why the Transfer Happened: Quartz, Felspar, and Mica are hosted in pegmatite rocks, which are primary sources of critical minerals (such as Lithium, Tantalum, and Niobium) needed for electric mobility and advanced electronics.
- Lease Extensions: By elevating these four materials to major minerals, existing lease periods are automatically extended to 50 years under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) [MMDR] Act.
- Regulatory Compliance: Minor mineral leaseholders must prepare and submit updated mining plans to the Indian Bureau of Mines
On May 1, 2025, the Ministry of Mines issued an order under Section 20A of the MMDR Act, 1957 to facilitate the transition of existing mining leases of Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz from the “minor” to the “major” minerals category.
Regulatory Exemption: Existing mines were provided transitory arrangements for registration with IBM, payment of royalty, new mining plan and digital survey of lease, allowing them to continue operating as major minerals without facing penalties while gradually integrating their operations with the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM).
The Ministry of Mines order dated September 24, 2025, provides a streamlined framework to resolve pending cases and lease transitions for four specific minerals: Barytes, Feldspar, Mica, and Quartz.
- The Transition Directive: Following the MMDR Amendment Act, the Ministry established a process to resolve ongoing lease issues by treating these four minerals as major minerals, bringing them back under standard MMDR Act regulations.
- Application Processing: Pending applications for mining leases or composite licenses submitted when these were classified as minor minerals are now evaluated using the updated major mineral parameters.
- Clearance Continuity: State governments were directed to seamlessly transition these applications without requiring applicants to void their prior work, provided the areas are not already subject to conflicting rights.
The Ministry of Mines reclassified limestone (burning) as a Major Mineral. Previously, limestone was classified as a minor mineral when used in kilns for lime manufacturing for building materials, and a major mineral for other industries.
- The Ministry of Mines issued notification, classifying Limestone as a major mineral completely. Earlier limestone was classified as minor mineral as well as major mineral depending upon the end use. ‘Limestone used in kilns for manufacture of lime used as building material’ had been notified as minor mineral. Otherwise, it was a major mineral when used for any other purpose like production of cement, chemicals, sugar, fertilizer, steel, etc.
- The Ministry of Mines vide gazette notification dated 10th October, 2025 has removed above distinction based on the end use by deleting ‘Limestone used in kilns for manufacture of lime used as building material’ from the category of minor minerals. Further, to ensure ease of doing business,.