Geography
The Cabinet on Wednesday opened up mining of a
new group of the minerals as a part of its strategy to boost domestic mining
and to cut back import dependence.
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The cabinet approved an change to the second
schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957,
specifying the rate of royalty of sure minerals that include glauconite,
potash, emerald, the platinum group of metals (PGM), andalusite, sillimanite
and molybdenum.
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The amendment will lead
to the auction of these mineral blocks for the rst time in India.
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It is also expected to
reduce imports of potash fertilisers and other minerals, and ensure
availability of minerals for downstream industries and support agriculture.
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It will reduce the
country’s foreign dependence through the local production of minerals.
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Minerals and their
uses: Glauconite, a major component of greensand, is a common source of
potassium (K+) in plant fertilizers and is also used to adjust soil pH.
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Andalusite is used as a
refractory in furnaces, kilns and other industrial processes.
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South Africa possesses
by far the largest portion of the world’s known andalusite deposits.
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Sillimanite minerals
are mainly utilised in the production of mullite or high-alumina refractories.
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95% of the world’s
consumption of these minerals is used for this purpose in the manufacture of
metals, glass, ceramics and cement.
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Molybdenum may be a mineral that you need to stay healthy..
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Your body uses
molybdenum to process proteins and genetic material like DNA.
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Molybdenum also helps
break down drugs and toxic substances that enter the body High quality emeralds
are used almost exclusively for making fine jewelry.
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Emerald is regarded as
the traditional birthstone as well as the traditional gemstone for the
astrological signs of Taurus, Gemini, and sometimes Cancer.
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Emerald is a variety of
beryl.
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The platinum group metals (PGMs) are among the rarest mineral
commodities in the Earth’s crust.
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They include iridium,
osmium, palladium, platinum, rhodium and ruthenium.
Today, the leading
use of PGMs is in catalytic converters that clean harmful exhaust from vehicle
engines.
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