INTRODUCTION

India is well endowed in terms of most minerals. The country produces as many as 87 minerals, including 4 fuel minerals, 10 metallic minerals, 47 nonmetallic minerals, 3 atomic minerals and 23 minor minerals (including building and other materials). The Mineral Development and mining sector is a significant contributor to the Indias GDP growth; as there is a strong correlation between growth in same and the manufacturing sector; making it a catalyst for the growth of basic industries such as power, steel, cement etc. The National Mineral Policy, 2008 announced by the Union Government, was made to fulfil this aim. The 2008 Policy differed from the earlier policy by introducing an open sky policy on non-exclusivity for reconnaissance work, large area prospecting license, seamless transfer and security of tenure to the entrepreneurs. Government of India liberalized the grant of licenses and leases for most of the minerals except atomic minerals and Hydrocarbon energy minerals under the National Mineral Policy, 1993. However, the sector has witnessed negative growth for two consecutive years now. In 2011-12, the growth outlook had turned negative to register a minus 0.6% contraction. In 2012-13 too there was no significant improvement, and the sector contracted by 0.6%. This de-growth is having its repercussions on the economy as a whole and is contributing to the widening current account deficit and resultant weakness in Indian currency. India needs an evolving and growth oriented mineral development and mining policy that can foster systematic and sustainable growth in the sector.

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Overview
The tradition of mining in the region is ancient and underwent modernization alongside the rest of the world as India gained independence in 1947. The economic reforms of 1991 and the 1993 National Mining Policy further helped the growth of the mining sector. India's minerals range from both metallic and non-metallic types. The metallic minerals comprise ferrous and non-ferrous minerals, while the nonmetallic minerals comprise mineral fuels, precious stones, among others. D.R. Khullar holds that mining in India depends on over 3,100 mines, out of which over 550 are fuel mines, over 560 are mines for metals, and over 1970 are mines for extraction of nonmetals. The figure given by S.N. Padhi is: 'about 600 coal mines, 35 oil projects and 6,000 metalliferous mines of different sizes employing over Indian coal production is the 3 rd highest in the world according to the 2008 Indian Ministry of Mines estimates.Shown above is a coal mine in Jharkhand. one million persons on a daily average basis.' Both open cast mining and underground mining operations are carried out and drilling/pumping is undertaken for extracting liquid or gaseous fuels. The country produces and works with roughly 100 minerals, which are an important source for earning foreign exchange as well as satisfying domestic needs. India also exports iron ore, titanium, manganese, bauxite, granite, and imports cobalt, mercury, graphite etc. Unless controlled by other departments of the Government of India mineral resources of the country are surveyed by the Indian Ministry of Mines, which also regulates the manner in which these resources are used.The ministry oversees the various aspects of industrial mining in the country. Both the Geological Survey of India and the Indian Bureau of Mines are also controlled by the ministry. Natural gas, petroleum and atomic minerals are exempt from the various activities of the Indian Ministry of Mines.

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HISTORY
Flint was known and exploited by the inhabitants of the Indus Valley Civilization by the 3rd millennium BCE. P. Biagi and M. Cremaschi of Milan University discovered a number of Harappan quarries in archaeological excavations dating between 1985-1986. Biagi (2008) describes the quarries: 'From the surface the quarries consisted of almost circular empty areas, representing the quarrypits, filled with aeolian sand, blown from the Thar Desert dunes, and heaps of limestone block, deriving from the prehistoric mining activity. All around these structures flint workshops were noticed, represented by scatters of flint flakes and blades among which were typical Harappan-elongated blade cores and characteristic bullet cores with very narrow bladelet detachments.' Between 1995 and 1998, Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating dating of Zyzyphus cf. nummularia charcoal found in the quarries has yielded evidence that the activity continued into 1870-1800 BCE. Minerals subsequently found mention in Indian literature. George Robert Rappon the subject of minerals mentioned in India's literatureholds that: Sanskrit texts mention the use of bitumen, rock salt, yellow orpiment, chalk, alum, bismuth, calamine, realgar, stibnite, saltpeter, cinnabar, arsenic, sulphur, yellow and red ochre, black sand, and red clay in prescriptions. Among the metals used were gold, silver, copper, mercury, iron, iron ores, pyrite, tin, and brass. Mercury appeared to have been the most frequently used, and is called by several names in the texts. No source for mercury or its ores has been located. Leading to the suggestion that it may have been imported.

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GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
The distribution of minerals in the country is uneven and mineral density varies from region to region. D.R. Khullar identifies five mineral 'belts' in the country: The North Eastern Peninsular Belt, Central Belt, Southern Belt, South Western Belt, and the North Western Belt. The details of the various geographical 'belts' are given in the table below:

India has yet to fully explore the mineral wealth within its marine territory, mountain ranges, and a few states e.g. Assam.

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MAJOR PLAYERS & ORGANISATIONS IN THE SECTOR

In India mining has a large presence of public sector companies which account for over 80 percent of the total value of minerals produced. Large integrated players with interests from mining to metallurgy and processing like SAIL and Tata Steel in steel and Hindalco and Nalco in aluminium, dominate the metal and mining industry. While SAIL, Nalco, National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) and Hindustan Copper are the largest public sector companies; Tata Steel, Hindalco and Sterlite are the major companies in the private sector. Sesa Goa (a subsidiary of Mitsui) is one of the largest companies in mining and export of iron ore. Orissa, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh are the most mineral-rich states of India. Orissa has over 50 per cent of Indias bauxite reserves and over 20 per cent of Indias reserves of iron ore.

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INDIAS PRODUCTION RANK ACROSS KEY MINERALS

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INDIAS POSITION IN RESERVES OF KEY MINERALS

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EXPORTS
The net exports selected of minerals in 2004-05 as per the Exports of Ores and Minerals Ministry of Mines, Government of India (http://mines.nic.in/anrep0506/annexure.pdf) is given in the table below:

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LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

With respect to International Initiatives, India is not a signatory to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative [EITI], a globally developed standard for extraction of natural resources to promote revenue transparency at the local level. But, on national scale, there are legal and constitutional framework to manage mineral sector. The policy level guidelines for mineral sector is given by National Mineral Policy, 2008. The mining operations are regulated in terms of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) [MMDR] Act 1957 enacted by the Parliament. The State Governments, as owners of minerals, grant mineral concessions and collect royalty, dead rent and fees as per the provisions of MMDR Act 1957. In a recent development, the Supreme Court has said that "Ownership of minerals should be vested with the owner of the land and not with the government." The royalty and dead rent revenues collected by the State Government accrue to the Consolidated Fund of State Government concerned and are then appropriated for public spending through a budgetary process which has to be approved by the Legislative House of the State Government concerned.

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STATE AND CENTRAL AGENCIES INVOLVED IN MAJOR REGULATORY PROVISIONS FOR MINING IN INDIA

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PROFIT SHARING FORMULA

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 does not Provides for any profit sharing formula between Government and local people. But the draft Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill (MMDR bill), 2011 provides for the following: Suitable compensation for all exploration activities to be payable to the person or family holding occupation or usufruct or traditional rights on the area of exploration, All Mining Lease holders, including public sector undertakings and private sector companies to pay annually into a District Mineral Foundation set up at District level -A sum equivalent to royalty in case of major minerals (other than coal) -A sum equivalent to 26% of profit in case of coal minerals; -And in case of minor minerals a sum prescribed by the State Government. A portion of the amount paid into the District Mineral Foundation shall be used to make recurring payments to people affected by mining related operations. All mining companies to allot at least one share at par to each person of the family affected by mining, so as to give a sense of ownership in the enterprise. All mining companies to provide employment or other compensation as stipulated under Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy

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ISSUES WITH MININGS

One of the most challenging issues in India's mining sector is the lack of assessment of India's natural resources. A number of areas remain unexplored and the mineral resources in these areas are yet to be assessed. The distribution of minerals in the areas known is uneven and varies drastically from one region to another. India is also looking to follow the example set by England, Japan and Italy to recycle and use scrap iron for ferrous industry. Under the British Raj a committee of experts formed in 1894 formulated regulations for mining safety and ensured regulated mining in India. The committee also passed the 1st Mines act of 1901 which led to a substantial drop in mining related accidents. The accidents in mining are caused both by manmade and natural phenomenon, for example explosions and flooding. The main causes for incidents resulting in serious injury or death are roof fall, methane gas explosion, coal dust explosion, carbon monoxide poisoning, vehicular accidents, falling/slipping and hauling related incidents. In recent decades, mining industry has been facing issues of large scale displacements, resistance of locals as reported by the Indian journalist Aditi Roy Ghatak in the magazine D+C Development and Cooperation (http://www.dandc.eu/articles/220537/index.en.shtml) -, environmental issues like pollution, corruption, deforestation, dangers to animal habitats.

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CONCLUSION
The mining industry in India, for its healthy development, must adopt the principles of sustainable development that seek to balance economic, social and environmental well being now and for the future. Aligning government policies, laws and procedures as well as industry behavior and practices to these principles poses a major challenge in the countrys mineral sector.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mining Industry The Way Forward Non-Fuel Minerals FICCI Mines and Metals Division October 2013 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT- Emerging Issues in Indias Mineral, Sector Planning Commission Government of India India Minerals and Metals Forum 2012 ,Ferrous & Non Ferrous www.wikipedia.org mines.nic.in www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/mining

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