Page 5 - Why we need a New Mineral Exploration Policy for National Mineral Security?
P. 5
Discussion Paper
in 2009 in the form of 5 Missions is perhaps the most application enables the integration of third-party data
significant non-legislative action completed (the other such as that obtained from reconnaissance surveys by
major non-legislative initiative, still underway, is the concessionaires.
creation of an on-line GIS-based Mining Tenement
System by the Indian Bureau of Mines). The reform is National Mineral Policy 2008: Changes to the
intended to ensure that the GSI is well able to discharge legislative framework for exploration
its responsibility as the principal agency for geological
mapping and regional mineral resources assessment of On the legislative side, the Mines and Minerals
the country. The GSI needs to ensure that its regional (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 (MMDR
surveys for baseline data collection cover all major Act) was amended in 2015 (and Rules were notified
geo-scientific datasets, including geology, magnetics, thereunder) with the intention of removing discretion
electromagnetics, spectral, gravity, geochemistry, etc. and and introducing more transparency in the allocation
is in line with best international practices. It also needs to process. The Hoda Committee had advocated the
undertake measures to publish all pre-competitive data, auction of “fully prospected” mineral deposits and
including spatial data in the Geographical Information encouragement of exploration under a risk-reward
System (GIS) environment to facilitate entrepreneurs system incentivizing the use of high technology for
to take investment decisions for exploration and when locating deeper mineral occurrences. The National
making applications for grant mineral concessions. Many Mineral Policy 2008 generally adopted the direction
of these datasets, though requiring high investment of advocated by the Hoda Committee. The amendments to
funds and manpower, give very high returns through the the MMDR Act, 1957, made in January 2015, however,
discovery of new mineral deposits. GSI also needs to look provide that mineral concessions will be granted only on
at capacity issues in terms of experienced geoscientists the basis of bidding, for the prospecting stage or mining
and state-of-the-art equipment, both crucial constraints stage as the case may be (Section 10B(2) and 11(2),
that need to be overcome in order to ensure availability respectively). The Mineral (Auction) Rules 2015 notified
of geochemical and geophysical regional baseline maps under the MMDR Act specifies the auction procedures.
as per the current best practice, that is, on 1:50,000 The Mineral (Evidence and Mineral Contents) Rules
scale. It is well known that the upsurge of exploration and 2015 also notified under the MMDR Act specifies that
mining in China was a consequence of their systematic for the prospecting stage, the data needs to comply with
geochemical mapping in the previous decade and there the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC)
is no reason why such an upsurge should not happen in standard of G3 (Preliminary Exploration); for mining
India as well. it needs to comply with the G2 (General Exploration)
standard. These standards lay down the extent to
GSI’s progress in geoscientific survey and mapping which geological, technical, and economic parameters
(on 1:50,000 scale) has been substantial but not adequate: have to be investigated, including drilling, sampling, and
mineralogical analysis.
Geological mapping: 95% completed
The amendment to the MMDR Act in January 2015,
Geophysical mapping: 20% completed replaces the earlier process of granting Reconnaissance
Permits on a first-come-first-served basis with a system
Geochemical mapping (for 68 elements including of Non-Exclusive Reconnaissance Permits (NERP)
rare earth elements): 16% completed (Section 10C, MMDR Act). The Mineral (Non-Exclusive
Reconnaissance Permit) Rules 2015 issued under the
Aerogeophysical mapping: systematic programme Act specify the procedures. Section 10 C of the Act,
commencing in three phases in 2017 which provides for the grant of the Permit, also states
that a NERP holder shall have no right to claim for a
Geomorphological mapping (including lineaments): prospecting licence or a mining lease on the basis of his
completed in 2010 reconnaissance. The intention is that the data discovered
Hyperspectral mapping: completed in 2009
GSI has also revamped its Portal and rolled out the Online
Core Integrated System (OCBIS) application which
enables display of spatial data from regional mapping as
well as large-scale maps from the field investigations; the
JUNE 2017 5
in 2009 in the form of 5 Missions is perhaps the most application enables the integration of third-party data
significant non-legislative action completed (the other such as that obtained from reconnaissance surveys by
major non-legislative initiative, still underway, is the concessionaires.
creation of an on-line GIS-based Mining Tenement
System by the Indian Bureau of Mines). The reform is National Mineral Policy 2008: Changes to the
intended to ensure that the GSI is well able to discharge legislative framework for exploration
its responsibility as the principal agency for geological
mapping and regional mineral resources assessment of On the legislative side, the Mines and Minerals
the country. The GSI needs to ensure that its regional (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 (MMDR
surveys for baseline data collection cover all major Act) was amended in 2015 (and Rules were notified
geo-scientific datasets, including geology, magnetics, thereunder) with the intention of removing discretion
electromagnetics, spectral, gravity, geochemistry, etc. and and introducing more transparency in the allocation
is in line with best international practices. It also needs to process. The Hoda Committee had advocated the
undertake measures to publish all pre-competitive data, auction of “fully prospected” mineral deposits and
including spatial data in the Geographical Information encouragement of exploration under a risk-reward
System (GIS) environment to facilitate entrepreneurs system incentivizing the use of high technology for
to take investment decisions for exploration and when locating deeper mineral occurrences. The National
making applications for grant mineral concessions. Many Mineral Policy 2008 generally adopted the direction
of these datasets, though requiring high investment of advocated by the Hoda Committee. The amendments to
funds and manpower, give very high returns through the the MMDR Act, 1957, made in January 2015, however,
discovery of new mineral deposits. GSI also needs to look provide that mineral concessions will be granted only on
at capacity issues in terms of experienced geoscientists the basis of bidding, for the prospecting stage or mining
and state-of-the-art equipment, both crucial constraints stage as the case may be (Section 10B(2) and 11(2),
that need to be overcome in order to ensure availability respectively). The Mineral (Auction) Rules 2015 notified
of geochemical and geophysical regional baseline maps under the MMDR Act specifies the auction procedures.
as per the current best practice, that is, on 1:50,000 The Mineral (Evidence and Mineral Contents) Rules
scale. It is well known that the upsurge of exploration and 2015 also notified under the MMDR Act specifies that
mining in China was a consequence of their systematic for the prospecting stage, the data needs to comply with
geochemical mapping in the previous decade and there the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC)
is no reason why such an upsurge should not happen in standard of G3 (Preliminary Exploration); for mining
India as well. it needs to comply with the G2 (General Exploration)
standard. These standards lay down the extent to
GSI’s progress in geoscientific survey and mapping which geological, technical, and economic parameters
(on 1:50,000 scale) has been substantial but not adequate: have to be investigated, including drilling, sampling, and
mineralogical analysis.
Geological mapping: 95% completed
The amendment to the MMDR Act in January 2015,
Geophysical mapping: 20% completed replaces the earlier process of granting Reconnaissance
Permits on a first-come-first-served basis with a system
Geochemical mapping (for 68 elements including of Non-Exclusive Reconnaissance Permits (NERP)
rare earth elements): 16% completed (Section 10C, MMDR Act). The Mineral (Non-Exclusive
Reconnaissance Permit) Rules 2015 issued under the
Aerogeophysical mapping: systematic programme Act specify the procedures. Section 10 C of the Act,
commencing in three phases in 2017 which provides for the grant of the Permit, also states
that a NERP holder shall have no right to claim for a
Geomorphological mapping (including lineaments): prospecting licence or a mining lease on the basis of his
completed in 2010 reconnaissance. The intention is that the data discovered
Hyperspectral mapping: completed in 2009
GSI has also revamped its Portal and rolled out the Online
Core Integrated System (OCBIS) application which
enables display of spatial data from regional mapping as
well as large-scale maps from the field investigations; the
JUNE 2017 5
