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Mining and minerals

The mining economy: how minerals are auctioned, mined and paid for.

Showing 1 of 3 articles, those that changed from 1 to 31 July 2026.Show all

Critical mineral block auctions

Prelims and Mains

The Centre auctions blocks of critical minerals in tranches under the mining law amended in 2023, offering rare earths, lithium, graphite, vanadium, tungsten and potash among others.

What changed

15 Jul 2026BriefThe eighth tranche includes blocks of rare earths, vanadium, gallium, graphite, tungsten and potash, and one block in West Bengal with lithium, caesium and rubidium. PIB, 15 Jul 2026: Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy and Minister of State Shri Satish Chandra Dubey Launch the Eighth Tranche of Auction of 20 Critical and Strategic Mineral Blocks (opens in a new tab)

Also filed elsewhere

Critical minerals · on Critical minerals and rare earths
A mineral is called critical when an economy and its armed forces cannot do without it and the supply can be cut, which is a judgement about politics as much as geology.
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 and the States' power to tax minerals · on Fiscal federalism (home in Economy, pointer here)
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 limits what States may levy on minerals.