Context:
To enforce the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development & Regulation) Act, 2002 (amended in 2023) or OAMDR Act, the ministry has released 2 draft rules.
- Offshore Areas Mineral Auction Rules: Outlines provisions related to auctioning production leases.
- Offshore Areas Existence of Mineral Resources Rules: Establishes norms for exploring minerals and deposits.
Offshore Areas Mineral (Development & Regulation) Act (OAMDR Act):
- Provides for development and regulation of mineral resources in territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zones and other maritime zones of India.
- 2023 Amendment Act –
- Introduces transparent and nondiscretionary auction process as for allocation of operating rights in offshore areas.
- Establishes an Offshore Areas Mineral Trust to support mining-affected individuals, promote increased exploration, and provide relief in the event of disasters.
- Provides for a uniform lease period of 50 years and eliminates discretionary renewals.
India’s maritime zone mineral resources:
- Lime mud – EEZ off Gujarat and Maharashtra coasts.
- Construction-grade sand – Kerala coast.
- Heavy mineral placers – Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
- Phosphorite – Eastern and Western continental margins.
- Polymetallic Ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) nodules and crusts – Andaman Sea and Lakshadweep Sea.
Read about UNCLOS
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
The Environment Protection Act, 1986 empowers the Government of India to
1. state the requirement of public participation in the process of environmental protection, and the procedure and manner in which it is sought
2. lay down the standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2019 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
The Environment (Protection) Act was enacted in 1986 with the objective of providing for the protection and improvement of the environment. It empowers the Central Government to establish authorities charged with the mandate of preventing environmental pollution in all its forms and to tackle specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the country.
