Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi has informed that The Ministry of Mines, Government of India has signed MoUs regarding technical exchange and development of mining sector with the Republic of Mali; the Kingdom of Morocco; the Republic of Peru; the Republic of Zimbabwe; the Plurinational State of Bolivia; the Federative Republic of Brazil; the Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia; the Republic of Chile; the Florida International University Board of Trustees on behalf of its Department of Earth and Environment, College of Arts, Sciences and Education, United States of America; and Rosgeologia (Rosgeo) a legal entity incorporated under the laws of the Russian Federation.
Ministry of Mines has implemented Sustainable Mining by making provisions under Chapter-V of Mineral Conservation and Development Rules (MCDR), 2017. Rule 35 of MCDR provides for star rating of the mining leases based on the sustainable mining practices adopted by the miners.
Star rating has been made mandatory under Rule 35(2) of MCDR, 2017 and every mining lease holder has to submit online self-assessment report before 1st day of July every year for the previous financial year, along with the digital images of mining lease area as per rule 34A of the said rules to the Regional Controller or the authorised officer of the Indian Bureau of Mines.
Further, as per Rule 35(4) of MCDR, 2017 every holder of a mining lease shall achieve at least three-star rating within a period of four years from the date of commencement of mining operations and thereafter maintain the same on year- on- year basis.