Overview
- The Centre amended the MMDR Act’s First Schedule under Section 11C, adding coking coal to the list of Critical and Strategic Minerals and updating Part A to read “Coal, including Coking Coal.”
- India holds about 37.37 billion tonnes of resources, largely in Jharkhand, even as imports meet roughly 95% of steel-sector needs and rose from 51.20 million tonnes in FY21 to 57.58 million tonnes in FY25.
- Critical-mineral status waives public consultation for mining and permits use of degraded forest land for compensatory afforestation to speed project approvals.
- Section 11D(3) clarifies that royalty, auction premium and other statutory payments will continue to accrue to state governments even when auctions are run by the Centre.
- Officials say the move is intended to accelerate exploration of deep deposits, attract private investment and strengthen steel supply chains, with results contingent on upcoming auctions and projects.