Q. Consider the following statements :
Statement I: In India, State Governments have no power for making rules for grant of concessions in respect of extraction of minor minerals even though such minerals are located in their territories.
Statement II : In India, the Central Government has the power to notify minor minerals under the relevant law.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
(b) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
(c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
(d) Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
Correct Answer: (d) Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper's Solution
Explanation :
Statement I: In India, State Governments have no power for making rules for grant of concessions in respect of extraction of minor minerals even though such minerals are located in their territories.
This statement is incorrect.
Section 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act, 1957) explicitly empowers State Governments to make rules for regulating the grant of quarry leases, mining leases, or other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith. This means that the regulation and grant of concessions for minor minerals fall entirely within the legislative and administrative domain of the State Governments.
Statement II: In India, the Central Government has the power to notify minor minerals under the relevant law.
This statement is correct.
Section 3(e) of the MMDR Act, 1957, defines “minor minerals” to include building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand, and “any other mineral which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be a minor mineral.” This clearly grants the Central Government the authority to classify and notify minerals as ‘minor minerals’.
Conclusion: Statement I is incorrect, and Statement II is correct. The final answer is d.
