Government classifies Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz as Major Minerals

Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz have been transferred from the minor mineral list to the major mineral category by the Ministry of Mines in a gazette notification dated February 20, 2025. This action is under the Union Cabinet's recent ratification of the National Critical Mineral Mission on January 29, 2025.

The mission envisions the exploration and mining of critical minerals within the country, as well as the recovery of these minerals from mines of other minerals, overburden, and byproducts.

Quartz, Felspar and Mica are found in pegmatite rocks, which are an important source of many critical minerals such as Beryl, Lithium, Niobium, Tantalum, Molybdenum, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, etc.

These minerals have a vital role in various new technologies, in energy transition, spacecraft industries, the healthcare sector, etc. When the leases of Quartz, Felspar and Mica are granted as minor mineral leases, the leaseholders do not declare the existence of critical minerals or extract the critical minerals associated with it such as Lithium, Beryl, etc. as their primary objective is to use these minerals as minor minerals for construction, glass / ceramic making, etc. Consequently, the critical minerals associated with these minerals are neither getting extracted nor reported.

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Similarly, baryte has various industrial applications, which are used for oil and gas drilling, electronics, TV screens, rubber, glass, ceramics, paint, radiation shielding, and medical applications. Baryte is used to make high-density concrete to block X-ray emissions in hospitals, power plants, and laboratories.

Baryte often occurs as concretions and vein fillings in limestone and dolostone. It is found in association with ores of Antimony, Cobalt, Copper, Lead, Manganese and Silver. Baryte with iron ore occurs in pocket-type deposits, which cannot be mined in isolation. While mining either of the minerals, the production of associated minerals is inevitable.

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Reclassification of minerals Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz will not adversely affect the lease period of the existing leases. As major minerals, the leases for these minerals will get extended to a period of 50 years from the date of grant or till the completion of the renewal period, if any, whichever is later as per section 8A of the MMDR Act, 1957.

These mines will gradually register with the Indian Bureau of Mines and will be regulated as major minerals. A transition time of four months, that is, up to 30th June, 2025 has been provided.

The revenue from mines of these minerals will continue to accrue to the State Government as earlier.

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