NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2025 to further liberalise norms for investors and empower states with the aim of boosting exploration for critical and strategic minerals.The amendment Bill, introduced on August 11, was passed by voice vote amid Opposition din. Under the amended provisions, lease holders seek state government permission to add critical and strategic minerals as well as other specified minerals to their existing lease without paying any additional amount.Under the existing norms, leases are granted for specific minerals. But under the amended provisions, lease holders can add minerals such as lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, gold, and silver.For inclusion of other minerals, the lease holder will have to pay an amount equivalent to the royalty for that mineral. In case of auctioned mines, the lease holder additionally has to pay the auction premium for the included mineral.For addition of a minor mineral to a mining lease issued for major mineral, the state government will now have the power to decide the royalty and other payments. Minor minerals include building stones, gravel, sand, and other minerals declared as minor minerals by the central government.For inclusion of major minerals to minor mineral leases, the central government will prescribe conditions through Rules. However, an atomic mineral above a specified grade cannot be included in a mining lease granted for non-atomic minerals.The amendments remove the limit on sale of minerals from captive mines. Under the current Act, captive mines are allowed to sell up to 50% of minerals produced in a year, after meeting end-use requirements. It empowers state governments to allow sale of mineral dumps stacked in the leased area up to a date specified by the Central government.The amendment Bill empowers state governments to allow sale of mineral dumps stacked in the leased area up to a date specified by the Central government.The Bill provides for establishing an authority to register and regulate mineral exchanges. It defines mineral exchange as a registered electronic trading platform or marketplace for trading minerals and metals.The Bill renames the National Mineral Exploration Trust to National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust and increases the rate of contribution to 3% of the royalty. Under the amended norms, the trust funds can now be used for exploration and development in offshore areas and overseas.