Commercial mining of critical minerals approved
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)
The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, that will pave the way for commercial mining of six critical minerals — lithium, beryllium, niobium, tantalum, titanium and zirconium — and deep-seated minerals like gold, silver and copper.
More about the News
Currently, commercial mining of these critical minerals by private companies is prohibited. Only government agencies were allowed in exploration and mining operations.
These minerals are key components of all modern technologies and go into the making of mobile phones, electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors, and wind turbines, among others.
In February this year, the Geological Survey of India discovered a 5.9-million-tonne reserve of lithium in Jammu & Kashmir’s Reasi district.
The amendments, once cleared by Parliament, will also allow the government to grant a single exploration licence to companies through auction.
This is expected to be a big incentive for private companies, especially junior mining companies involved in exploration operations.
This will allow companies a seamless process — from conducting reconnaissance (exploration) and prospecting operations (undertaken for the purpose of exploring, locating or proving the presence of mineral deposit) to finally getting the rights to mine a mineral resource, once it is discovered and the mine is auctioned.
Currently, the MMDR Act grants private companies a mining lease and a composite licence through an auction for conducting exploration and mining.
Flashback
The government is currently giving composite licences in a smaller area (up to 25 square kilometres).
But in the amendments, the ministry has proposed giving an exploration licence for a larger area of up to 5,000 sq km of a single block. The total area with one entity will not exceed 10,000 sq km.
The MMDR Act regulates the mining sector in India and mandates the requirement for granting leases for mining operations. This is the fifth time that the MMDR Act, 1957, will be amended.
India is dependent on China and other countries to meet its requirement of critical minerals including Rare Earth Elements (REE), which are the building blocks of modern-day technologies.
#upsc #news #union #commercialmining #criticalminerals #technologies #mmdr #geologicalsurvey #exploration #earth #elements #india #dependent
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)
The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, that will pave the way for commercial mining of six critical minerals — lithium, beryllium, niobium, tantalum, titanium and zirconium — and deep-seated minerals like gold, silver and copper.
More about the News
Currently, commercial mining of these critical minerals by private companies is prohibited. Only government agencies were allowed in exploration and mining operations.
These minerals are key components of all modern technologies and go into the making of mobile phones, electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors, and wind turbines, among others.
In February this year, the Geological Survey of India discovered a 5.9-million-tonne reserve of lithium in Jammu & Kashmir’s Reasi district.
The amendments, once cleared by Parliament, will also allow the government to grant a single exploration licence to companies through auction.
This is expected to be a big incentive for private companies, especially junior mining companies involved in exploration operations.
This will allow companies a seamless process — from conducting reconnaissance (exploration) and prospecting operations (undertaken for the purpose of exploring, locating or proving the presence of mineral deposit) to finally getting the rights to mine a mineral resource, once it is discovered and the mine is auctioned.
Currently, the MMDR Act grants private companies a mining lease and a composite licence through an auction for conducting exploration and mining.
Flashback
The government is currently giving composite licences in a smaller area (up to 25 square kilometres).
But in the amendments, the ministry has proposed giving an exploration licence for a larger area of up to 5,000 sq km of a single block. The total area with one entity will not exceed 10,000 sq km.
The MMDR Act regulates the mining sector in India and mandates the requirement for granting leases for mining operations. This is the fifth time that the MMDR Act, 1957, will be amended.
India is dependent on China and other countries to meet its requirement of critical minerals including Rare Earth Elements (REE), which are the building blocks of modern-day technologies.
#upsc #news #union #commercialmining #criticalminerals #technologies #mmdr #geologicalsurvey #exploration #earth #elements #india #dependent
Today's Headlines - 28 July 2023
Lok Sabha passes forest conservation bill
GS Paper - 1 (Geography)
Lok Sabha a bill that seeks to exempt land within 100 km of the country's borders from the purview of conservation laws and permit setting up of zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities in forest areas. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill-2023 was passed after a brief debate which was responded to by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
More about the Bill
The bill exempts certain types of land from the provisions of the Act such as forest land along a rail line or a public road maintained by the government providing access to a habitation, or to a rail, and roadside amenity up to a maximum size of 0.10 hectare.
Forest land that will also be exempted includes land situated within 100 km along the international borders, Line of Control, or Line of Actual Control, proposed to be used for construction of strategic linear projects for national importance or security.
It also exempts land up to 10 hectares, proposed to be used for constructing security related infrastructure, or land proposed to be used for constructing defence related projects, camp for paramilitary forces, or public utility projects as specified by central government not exceeding five hectares in a left wing extremism affected area.
Yadav made it clear that there was no contradiction between the Forest (Conservation) Act and the Forest Rights Act as the two legislations supplement each other.
The bill also seeks to empower the central government to specify, by order, the terms and conditions subject to which any survey, such as, reconnaissance, prospecting, investigation or exploration including seismic survey, shall not be treated as non-forest purpose.
#upsc #news #todayheadline #loksabha #conservation #geography #laws #zoo #tourism #facilities #forest #areas #railline #border #hectares #infrastructure #projects #forestrights #prospecting #investigation #exploration #seismic
Lok Sabha passes forest conservation bill
GS Paper - 1 (Geography)
Lok Sabha a bill that seeks to exempt land within 100 km of the country's borders from the purview of conservation laws and permit setting up of zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities in forest areas. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill-2023 was passed after a brief debate which was responded to by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
More about the Bill
The bill exempts certain types of land from the provisions of the Act such as forest land along a rail line or a public road maintained by the government providing access to a habitation, or to a rail, and roadside amenity up to a maximum size of 0.10 hectare.
Forest land that will also be exempted includes land situated within 100 km along the international borders, Line of Control, or Line of Actual Control, proposed to be used for construction of strategic linear projects for national importance or security.
It also exempts land up to 10 hectares, proposed to be used for constructing security related infrastructure, or land proposed to be used for constructing defence related projects, camp for paramilitary forces, or public utility projects as specified by central government not exceeding five hectares in a left wing extremism affected area.
Yadav made it clear that there was no contradiction between the Forest (Conservation) Act and the Forest Rights Act as the two legislations supplement each other.
The bill also seeks to empower the central government to specify, by order, the terms and conditions subject to which any survey, such as, reconnaissance, prospecting, investigation or exploration including seismic survey, shall not be treated as non-forest purpose.
#upsc #news #todayheadline #loksabha #conservation #geography #laws #zoo #tourism #facilities #forest #areas #railline #border #hectares #infrastructure #projects #forestrights #prospecting #investigation #exploration #seismic
Today's Headlines - 01 August 2023
Lok Sabha passes MMDR Amendment bill
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was taken up for consideration and passed by the Lok Sabha. This bill proposes to empower the Central government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for 26 critical minerals in the country.
More about the Amendment
This amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, “would facilitate, encourage and incentivise private sector participation in all spheres of mineral exploration for critical and deep-seated minerals”. Under the existing framework, state governments auction mining blocks.
Even in case of conduct of auction by the central government, the mineral concession shall be granted to the selected bidders by the state government only and the auction premium and other statutory payments shall accrue to the state government.
According to the statement of objects and reasons for the bill, it would help hasten the pace of auction and early production of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and graphite that are crucial for electric vehicles and batteries.
Nickel, platinum, and tin-bearing minerals are also among the 26 that are proposed to be brought under the ambit of the central government.
This would be the Fifth Amendment to the MMDR Act since 2014. Earlier changes included mandating e-auction for mineral resources, and allowing extension of mining leases which were expiring.
#upsc #news #loksabha #MMDR #amendnent #bill #polity #mines #minerals #development #central #goverment #critical #goverments #statutory #exploration #lithium #cobalt #grapite #nickel #platinum #resources #leases #private #sector
Lok Sabha passes MMDR Amendment bill
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was taken up for consideration and passed by the Lok Sabha. This bill proposes to empower the Central government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for 26 critical minerals in the country.
More about the Amendment
This amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, “would facilitate, encourage and incentivise private sector participation in all spheres of mineral exploration for critical and deep-seated minerals”. Under the existing framework, state governments auction mining blocks.
Even in case of conduct of auction by the central government, the mineral concession shall be granted to the selected bidders by the state government only and the auction premium and other statutory payments shall accrue to the state government.
According to the statement of objects and reasons for the bill, it would help hasten the pace of auction and early production of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and graphite that are crucial for electric vehicles and batteries.
Nickel, platinum, and tin-bearing minerals are also among the 26 that are proposed to be brought under the ambit of the central government.
This would be the Fifth Amendment to the MMDR Act since 2014. Earlier changes included mandating e-auction for mineral resources, and allowing extension of mining leases which were expiring.
#upsc #news #loksabha #MMDR #amendnent #bill #polity #mines #minerals #development #central #goverment #critical #goverments #statutory #exploration #lithium #cobalt #grapite #nickel #platinum #resources #leases #private #sector
Today's Headlines - 19 August 2023
JWST discovered Earendel
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
Astronomers have embarked on an extraordinary journey, utilizing the powerful gaze of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to measure the most distant star ever observed - Earendel. This celestial entity came into the scientific spotlight after its discovery by the Hubble Space Telescope in the previous year.
Earendel and history of the universe
The awe-inspiring expansion of the universe since the Big Bang has propelled Earendel's residence to a colossal 28 billion light-years from Earth.
This revelation underscores the dynamic and evolving nature of the cosmos, where space itself unfurls over immense timescales.
Earendel's presence in the distant reaches of the universe was initially pinpointed through the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, a phenomenon where the gravitational pull of a massive foreground object acts like a lens, bending and amplifying the light of a more distant celestial body. This allowed Hubble to identify Earendel's distant glow.
What is Earendel?
Earendel is a distant star that holds the distinction of being the most distant star ever detected.
It was first discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope and has recently been studied further using the James Webb Space Telescope.
Earendel's light has taken approximately 12.9 billion years to reach Earth, meaning that it was shining not long after the universe's creation following the Big Bang.
This star is of significant interest due to its extreme distance and the insights it can provide about the early universe.
JWST's exploration of Earendel
The James Webb Space Telescope, with its unique vantage point and ability to observe in infrared light, built on Hubble's observations.
Employing a similar strategy of gravitational lensing, JWST used the gravitational influence of a cluster named WHL0137-08 to further explore Earendel's mysteries.
The telescope's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) provided captivating insights, revealing Earendel to be a massive B-type star, boasting a temperature more than twice that of our sun and shining with a luminosity a million times greater.
What is JWST?
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a powerful astronomical observatory developed by NASA in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
It is designed to be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and is set to provide unprecedented views of the universe in infrared light.
#upsc #news #headline #JWST #discovered #earendel #spacetechnology #telescope #hubble #space #telescope #bigbang #universe #colossal #earth #dynamic #cosmos #history #gaze #journey #billion #massive #gravitational #exploration #NIRcam #influence #cluster #temperature #astronomical #canadian #light #sun
JWST discovered Earendel
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
Astronomers have embarked on an extraordinary journey, utilizing the powerful gaze of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to measure the most distant star ever observed - Earendel. This celestial entity came into the scientific spotlight after its discovery by the Hubble Space Telescope in the previous year.
Earendel and history of the universe
The awe-inspiring expansion of the universe since the Big Bang has propelled Earendel's residence to a colossal 28 billion light-years from Earth.
This revelation underscores the dynamic and evolving nature of the cosmos, where space itself unfurls over immense timescales.
Earendel's presence in the distant reaches of the universe was initially pinpointed through the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, a phenomenon where the gravitational pull of a massive foreground object acts like a lens, bending and amplifying the light of a more distant celestial body. This allowed Hubble to identify Earendel's distant glow.
What is Earendel?
Earendel is a distant star that holds the distinction of being the most distant star ever detected.
It was first discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope and has recently been studied further using the James Webb Space Telescope.
Earendel's light has taken approximately 12.9 billion years to reach Earth, meaning that it was shining not long after the universe's creation following the Big Bang.
This star is of significant interest due to its extreme distance and the insights it can provide about the early universe.
JWST's exploration of Earendel
The James Webb Space Telescope, with its unique vantage point and ability to observe in infrared light, built on Hubble's observations.
Employing a similar strategy of gravitational lensing, JWST used the gravitational influence of a cluster named WHL0137-08 to further explore Earendel's mysteries.
The telescope's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) provided captivating insights, revealing Earendel to be a massive B-type star, boasting a temperature more than twice that of our sun and shining with a luminosity a million times greater.
What is JWST?
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a powerful astronomical observatory developed by NASA in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
It is designed to be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and is set to provide unprecedented views of the universe in infrared light.
#upsc #news #headline #JWST #discovered #earendel #spacetechnology #telescope #hubble #space #telescope #bigbang #universe #colossal #earth #dynamic #cosmos #history #gaze #journey #billion #massive #gravitational #exploration #NIRcam #influence #cluster #temperature #astronomical #canadian #light #sun
Today's Headlines - 25 August 2023
Experiments after Chandrayaan-3’s landing
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
After rolling down a ramp from the Chandrayaan-3 lander, the six-wheel, 26-kg rover, which is capable of slowly moving up to 500 metres, began its job of lunar exploration. The landing happened at lunar dawn, and the six payloads on board the lander and rover was started collecting data soon after to get as much science as possible in the single lunar day or 14 Earth days for which they will remain operable.
Mission experiments
The lander has four experiments on board.
The Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) will study the electrons and ions near the surface of the moon and how they change over time.
The Chandra’s Surface Thermo physical Experiment (ChaSTE) will study the thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region. Chandrayaan-3 has landed around 70 degree south latitude, the closest that any spacecraft has reached to the lunar South Pole.
The Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) will measure the lunar quakes near the landing site and study the composition of the Moon’s crust and mantle.
The LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA) is a passive experiment sent by NASA that acts as a target for lasers for very accurate measurements for future missions.
There are two scientific experiments on the rover
The LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) will determine the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface.
The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) will determine the composition of elements such as magnesium, aluminium, silicon, potassium, calcium, titanium, and iron in the lunar soil and rocks.
Discovery of water
The southern polar region of the Moon is known to have deep craters that remain in permanent darkness, with a high likelihood of having water-ice.
Perhaps the most important discovery made by instruments on board Chandrayaan-1 was the discovery of water and hydroxyl (OH) molecules in the Moon’s thin atmosphere (exosphere) as well as on the lunar surface.
India’s Moon Impact Probe (MIP) — a payload that was deliberately crashed on the lunar surface near the South Pole — helped study the concentration of water and hydroxyl molecules in the lunar atmosphere.
Another payload called mini-SAR helped detect the subsurface deposits of water-ice in the permanently shadowed regions within the craters near the South Pole.
A third payload developed by NASA called Moon Mineralogy Mapper or M3 also helped detect these molecules on the surface of the Moon.
Chandrayaan-2, which was designed to further study the water on the Moon, helped in separately identifying the water and the hydroxyl molecules, and mapping water features across the Moon for the first time.
#upsc #news #headline #experiments #chandrayaan #landing #spacetechnology #exploration #lunardawn #missionexperiments #board #radio #anatomy #hypersensitive #atmosphere #RAMBHA #electrons #ChaSTE #latitude #southpole #ILSA #landingsite #LRA #NASA #LIBS #magnesium #aluminium #silicon #potassium #calcium #titanium #iron #lunarsoil #OH #MIP #miniSAR
Experiments after Chandrayaan-3’s landing
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
After rolling down a ramp from the Chandrayaan-3 lander, the six-wheel, 26-kg rover, which is capable of slowly moving up to 500 metres, began its job of lunar exploration. The landing happened at lunar dawn, and the six payloads on board the lander and rover was started collecting data soon after to get as much science as possible in the single lunar day or 14 Earth days for which they will remain operable.
Mission experiments
The lander has four experiments on board.
The Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) will study the electrons and ions near the surface of the moon and how they change over time.
The Chandra’s Surface Thermo physical Experiment (ChaSTE) will study the thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region. Chandrayaan-3 has landed around 70 degree south latitude, the closest that any spacecraft has reached to the lunar South Pole.
The Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) will measure the lunar quakes near the landing site and study the composition of the Moon’s crust and mantle.
The LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA) is a passive experiment sent by NASA that acts as a target for lasers for very accurate measurements for future missions.
There are two scientific experiments on the rover
The LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) will determine the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface.
The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) will determine the composition of elements such as magnesium, aluminium, silicon, potassium, calcium, titanium, and iron in the lunar soil and rocks.
Discovery of water
The southern polar region of the Moon is known to have deep craters that remain in permanent darkness, with a high likelihood of having water-ice.
Perhaps the most important discovery made by instruments on board Chandrayaan-1 was the discovery of water and hydroxyl (OH) molecules in the Moon’s thin atmosphere (exosphere) as well as on the lunar surface.
India’s Moon Impact Probe (MIP) — a payload that was deliberately crashed on the lunar surface near the South Pole — helped study the concentration of water and hydroxyl molecules in the lunar atmosphere.
Another payload called mini-SAR helped detect the subsurface deposits of water-ice in the permanently shadowed regions within the craters near the South Pole.
A third payload developed by NASA called Moon Mineralogy Mapper or M3 also helped detect these molecules on the surface of the Moon.
Chandrayaan-2, which was designed to further study the water on the Moon, helped in separately identifying the water and the hydroxyl molecules, and mapping water features across the Moon for the first time.
#upsc #news #headline #experiments #chandrayaan #landing #spacetechnology #exploration #lunardawn #missionexperiments #board #radio #anatomy #hypersensitive #atmosphere #RAMBHA #electrons #ChaSTE #latitude #southpole #ILSA #landingsite #LRA #NASA #LIBS #magnesium #aluminium #silicon #potassium #calcium #titanium #iron #lunarsoil #OH #MIP #miniSAR