The Ministry of Mines, through a gazette notification dated 20th February 2025, has upgraded Barytes, Feldspar, Mica, and Quartz from minor minerals to major minerals. This change follows the Union Cabinet’s approval of the National Critical Mineral Mission on 29th January 2025, which aims to explore and mine critical minerals in India, including extracting these minerals from other mineral mines, overburden, and tailings.
Quartz, Feldspar, and Mica, commonly found in pegmatite rocks, are important sources of critical minerals such as Beryl, Lithium, Niobium, Tantalum, Molybdenum, Tin, Titanium, and Tungsten. These minerals are vital for new technologies, energy transition, space exploration, and healthcare. When these minerals were classified as minor, leaseholders did not prioritize extracting critical minerals like Lithium and Beryl, as their focus was on using them for construction and glass/ceramic production. As a result, these critical minerals were neither extracted nor reported.
Baryte, which is used in various industries such as oil and gas drilling, electronics, rubber, glass, ceramics, and medical applications, is also being reclassified. It is used for radiation shielding and creating high-density concrete in hospitals and power plants. Baryte often occurs alongside ores of Antimony, Cobalt, Copper, Lead, Manganese, and Silver, and its mining usually results in the extraction of associated minerals.
The reclassification recommendation was made by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Mines & Minerals Sector, chaired by Dr. V. K. Saraswat of NITI Aayog, to promote the exploration and mining of these critical minerals. Once classified as major minerals, these minerals will benefit from increased exploration and scientific mining.
The change in classification will not affect the lease period for existing operations. As major minerals, leases will now last for 50 years or until the renewal period is completed, as per section 8A of the MMDR Act, 1957. The mining of these minerals will continue to be overseen by the Indian Bureau of Mines, with the transition period ending on 30th June 2025. Revenue from the mining of these minerals will continue to go to the State Governments as before.