New Delhi,feb 21
The Ministry of Mines has shifted minerals Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz from the list of minor minerals to the category of major minerals.An official gazette notification was put out dated February 20, 2025, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.This move follows the recent approval of the National Critical Mineral Mission by the Union Cabinet on January 29, 2025.The Mission envisages exploration and mining of critical minerals within the country including recovery of these minerals from mines of other minerals, overburden and tailings.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, and Tungsten, among others.
These minerals have a vital role in various new technologies, in energy transition, spacecraft industries, healthcare sector, etc.
When the leases of Quartz, Felspar and Mica are granted as minor mineral leases, the lease holders do not declare 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.Similarly, Baryte has various industrial applications in 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 of deposit which cannot be mined in isolation.While mining either of the minerals, the production of associated mineral is inevitable. In view of the importance of these minerals, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Mines and Minerals Sector constituted under the Chairmanship of VK Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog, recommended that these minerals be shifted from the list of minor minerals to the category of major minerals.
