Mines Ministry is in the Process of Auctioning 20 Critical Mineral Blocks : Secretary VL Kantha Rao

Mines Secretary Shri V.L. Kantha Rao said that the Ministry of Mines is in the process of auctioning 20 blocks of critical minerals including lithium and graphite in next two weeks. Interacting with the Media, after inaugurating the mining pavilion “Connecting Beyond Mining” at the India International Trade Fair 2023 (IITF), here today, the secretary said that for mining and processing of critical minerals indigenous technology will be explored.

Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in his virtual message said,

“Minerals are integral part of our daily life and mineral serve as raw material for many industries but are also crucial and vital to energy transition to a low carbon-emission economy, and renewable energy technologies that will be required to meet the ‘Net Zero’ commitment as declared by our Hon’ble Prime Minister.”

Complimenting the officials for setting up the pavilion, Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Railways Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve in his virtual message said that India is moving towards achieving self-reliance in every sector and the mining sector is also not behind in realizing this dream. The Ministry of Mines is participating in the ‘India International Trade Fair’ to showcase the success and opportunities of the mining sector.

Recently the Government has identified a list of critical minerals including new age minerals like Lithium, Cobalt and Titanium, important for meeting the modern needs of cutting-edge technology sectors like electronics, telecom, transport and defence. In recent years, the Government has introduced important reforms to open the mining sector for private participation and in particular mineral exploration. Today, there are many accredited private exploration agencies empanelled to step up the pace of exploration in the country.

To create awareness among the general public about the path breaking reforms underway in the mining and mineral sector, the Ministry of Mines is showcasing a state-of- the-art mining pavilion at IITF, Pragati Maidan from 14^th to 27^th November 2023.

Set up at Hall No. 5 in an area of 506 sqm, the major attractions of the Mining Pavilion are Virtual Reality Experience bringing closer view of the mines, Kids Zone for spreading knowhow about mines and minerals through interactive games, Interactive Digital Communication inside the Pavilion and Workshops on Recycling.

The initiative aims to enlighten the general public about the pivotal role minerals play in our daily lives, influencing everything from the contents of our food plates to electricity generation, mobile phone batteries and even the production of medicines. Mines and minerals are the backbone of our daily lives.

Minerals are fundamental to human progress. They not only serve as raw material for many industries but are also crucial and vital to power global transition to a low carbon-emission economy, and renewable energy technologies that will be required to meet the ‘Net Zero’ commitment.

The Mining Pavilion aims to create awareness among the visitors on some of these issues as well as the efforts of the Government in bringing reforms in the sector, progress in exploration, auction and the resultant increase in revenue to States along with the development of mining areas through the District Mineral Fund (DMF).

A dedicated Kids Zone and VR Zone in the pavilion aim to disseminate information about mines and mining to children, with various types of games and competitions organized for them. Engaging information about minerals will be presented, accompanied by explanations. Workshops will be conducted for 200 children in various groups. Additionally, there will be arrangements for a Selfie Zone for the general public.

Attached/ Autonomus/ Subordinate offices under the Ministry of Mines like Geological Survey of India (GSI), Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM), Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and Mineral Exploration & Consultancy Limited (MECL) will be highlighting their achievements through scientifically fabricated and fascinating depictions. Besides the above organizations major private sector players of the mining/ mineral sector like Hindalco Industries Limited of the Aditya Birla Group, Hindustan Zinc of Vedanta Group Company and JSW Group will be participating in the fortnight long IITF 2023 to highlight the recent innovative reforms undertaken in our mining sector.

The first five days of IITF 2023, from November 14 to 18, are exclusively reserved for business days, opening to the general public from November 19 to 27. The fair timings are 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily.

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BY/RKP