India reclassifies Mica, Quartz, Barytes and Felspar as major minerals

The government has reclassified Barytes, Felspar, Mica, and Quartz as major minerals, removing them from the list of minor minerals, the ministry of mines said on Friday.

The decision, notified on February 20, follows the Union Cabinet’s recent approval of the National Critical Mineral Mission, which seeks to enhance domestic mining of key minerals essential for new technologies, energy transition, and industrial applications.

Why was the reclassification needed?

Mica, Quartz, and Felspar, typically found in pegmatite rocks, are often associated with critical minerals such as Lithium, Beryl, and Tantalum. Under previous minor mineral leases, miners focused on their use in construction and ceramics, leaving valuable critical minerals unextracted, the statement said.

“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.,” the ministry said.

“Consequently, the critical minerals associated with these minerals are neither getting extracted nor reported.”

Barytes, used in oil and gas drilling, electronics, and radiation shielding, is often found with ores of Antimony, Copper, and Silver, making its isolated extraction difficult.

“While mining either of the minerals, the production of associated mineral is inevitable,” the ministry added.

Expected impact of the reclassification

The reclassification, recommended by an inter-ministerial panel led by NITI Aayog member V.K. Saraswat, is expected to improve scientific mining and ensure better reporting of associated critical minerals.

Existing leases will remain valid, with durations extended up to 50 years as per the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. A transition period until June 30 has been granted, and regulatory oversight will shift to the Indian Bureau of Mines.

State governments will continue to receive revenue from these mines, the ministry said.