In October 2025, the Ministry of Mines ( MoM ) officially reclassified ‘Limestone’ as a ‘ Major Mineral ’ by removing end-use restrictions and issued a notification under Section 20A of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957 (MMDR Act, 1957), to ensure a smooth transition of existing minor mineral limestone leases to major mineral leases.

Background:

Previous Classification: Limestone was categorized as a minor mineral when used in kilns for manufacturing lime as a building material.

Recommended by: The decision was based on recommendations from an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Mines & Minerals Sector, chaired by a Member of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, which engaged with various stakeholders.

Significance: This classifica

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