Lok Sabha passes Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill

New Delhi | The Lok Sabha passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2025 on Tuesday, amid the din of opposition protests over the revision of Bihar electoral rolls by the Election Commission.

The Bill was passed by a voice vote as opposition members raised slogans in the House.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2025 seeks to widen the scope and territorial domain of the National Mineral Exploration Trust to enable the use of the funds accrued to it within India, including offshore areas, and outside India for the exploration and development of mines and minerals.

The Bill also seeks to rename the trust as the National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust to reflect its enlarged scope and increase the amount of payment to it by the lessees from the present 2 per cent of the royalty payable to 3 per cent.