Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957

The Supreme Court examined whether mining leaseholders in Goa, whose second renewal leases were set aside, could transport iron ore that had been mined before the cut‑off date of 15 March 2018. The Court held that paragraph 154.6 of the Goa Foundation‑II judgment only prohibited mining after that date and did not bar t…

The appellants, holders of mining leases in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, sought extension of their leases for periods during which mining was prohibited by orders of the National Green Tribunal and subsequent state notifications. The State argued that neither the Uttar Pradesh Mining Minerals (Concession) Rules, 1963 nor …

The President of India made a reference under Article 143(1) of the Constitution seeking the Supreme Court's opinion on whether auction is the only permissible method for disposal of all natural resources, following the Court's judgment in the 2G case which had quashed spectrum licenses and directed auction. The Court …

In the 2000 Haryana Assembly election, Kartar Singh Bhadana was declared elected, but the runner‑up, Hari Singh Nalwa, filed a petition alleging that Bhadana held five mining leases and was therefore disqualified under Section 9‑A of the Representation of People Act, 1951. The Punjab and Haryana High Court held that a …

The Supreme Court examined the validity of auction notices issued by the Haryana government for the extraction of minor minerals (boulders, gravel, sand) in parcels not exceeding 5 hectares, including river‑bed mining. Petitioners argued that the notices were issued without any environmental impact assessment (EIA) and…

The Supreme Court examined whether the statutory first‑charge provisions in the Bombay Sales Tax Act (s.38C) and the Kerala General Sales Tax Act (s.26B) conflicted with the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (ORT Act) and the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and En…

The Government of Goa appealed against a Bombay High Court order that directed the respondents, M/s A.H. Jaffar and Sons, to dispose of the Government's application for a mining lease within six weeks and imposed exemplary costs. The respondents had earlier filed a writ petition in 1993 seeking the quashing of orders a…

The Rajasthan government issued a circular on 06‑10‑2008 requiring contractors awarded government construction work to obtain a short‑term permit and pay royalty on minor minerals used, with a provision for refund if royalty‑paid minerals were purchased from lease‑holders. M/s Deep Jyoti Company challenged the circular…

The appellant, a construction contractor, used minerals purchased from the open market for building works. The State of Rajasthan, through various government orders and circulars, required a 2% deduction from contractors' bills as royalty on minerals, aiming to prevent the use of illegally mined minerals. The contracto…

The Supreme Court examined public‑interest writ petitions challenging the allocation of coal blocks by the Central Government between 1993 and 2011. The Court held that the allocation process, carried out through the Screening Committee and a government‑dispensation route, was not authorized by the Mines and Minerals (…

The case involved a reference to a nine-judge bench to resolve the divergence between India Cement Ltd. v. State of Tamil Nadu (which held royalty is a tax) and State of West Bengal v. Kesoram Industries Ltd. (which held royalty is not a tax). The core issues were the true nature of royalty under Section 9 of the Mines…

The President referred three questions to the Supreme Court under Article 143(1) concerning whether natural gas (including LNG) falls under the Union List (Entry 53, List I), whether States can legislate on it under Entry 25, List II, and whether Gujarat's Gas (Regulation of Transmission, Supply and Distribution) Act, …

The Supreme Court was hearing the consequence proceedings arising from its earlier judgment that the allocation of coal blocks by the Screening Committee and the Government dispensation route was arbitrary and illegal. The Union of India submitted affidavits showing that 40 blocks were already producing coal and six we…

The State of Tamil Nadu, after a high‑level committee report on environmental damage caused by sand quarrying, inserted Rule 38A in the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules to vest exclusive sand‑quarrying rights in the State and to terminate all existing private leases. The Madras High Court upheld the rule but c…

The Union of India filed a review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s judgment in Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores Ltd. v. State of Karnataka, alleging that it was not given a chance to be heard because the special leave petition was not served and that the judgment misquoted the Expert Committee’s report. The petitio…

The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the National Highways Authority sought to overturn a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that set aside environmental clearances (EC) granted for sand and gravel mining for a highway project. The Supreme Court examined whether an EC could be validly issued when the District Su…

The appellant, a successful bidder for sand mining, was issued a demand notice requiring a deposit of 10% of the total bid amount with the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Trust. The appellant challenged the notice, arguing that Section 9B of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, limited the p…

Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd. (BPSL) entered into a 2002 MOU with the Odisha State Government, which obliged the State to recommend iron‑ore mining leases for its steel plant. The Supreme Court, in a 2012 appeal, directed the State to act on the MOU for both the Thakurani and Keora areas. While the State complied for Thak…

The Supreme Court examined applications for mining leases of chromite in Orissa, focusing on the Rao report prepared by the Secretary of the Ministry of Mines. It held that the Rao report is a decision of the Central Government under Section 30 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and there…

The Supreme Court examined public‑interest petitions concerning illegal iron‑ore mining in Goa, the validity of the Justice Shah Commission report, and the status of mining leases deemed to have arisen from pre‑1961 Portuguese concessions. It held that the Commission’s report could not be quashed for procedural lapses,…

The Supreme Court examined a notification that exempted the extraction of ordinary earth for linear projects such as roads and pipelines from the requirement of prior environmental clearance. The petitioners argued that this blanket exemption was arbitrary, violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, and was issue…

The Supreme Court considered two interlocutory applications arising from its earlier orders directing the State of Karnataka to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and a Comprehensive Environment Plan for the Mining Impact Zone (CEPMIZ) to remediate the massive environmental damage caused by illegal iron‑ore mining …

The appellants, construction firms, challenged a revisional order issued by the Andhra Pradesh Government that imposed a seigniorage fee on earth material used in a contract, alleging that the order was passed without notice and on the basis of inspection reports and material not supplied to them. The Supreme Court exa…

The petitioners, environmental NGOs, filed a writ under Article 32 seeking a halt to mining in forest areas of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, declaration of illegal mining contracts, and removal of the ban on export of iron ore and pellets. The Supreme Court had earlier imposed a blanket ban on mining in Bellary, Chitra…

The appellant, a director of a mining company, was granted a lease to excavate sand in specific plots in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, but was alleged to have mined sand outside the permitted area, leading to registration of an FIR under Section 379 IPC, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and the …

The appellant, Ashok Kumar Lingala, obtained a mining lease over land recorded as private patta land, while respondent No.3 (SIMORE) held a lease over adjoining government and forest land. The Director of Mines restrained the appellant’s mining activities on the ground of alleged overlapping, leading to writ petitions …

The Supreme Court examined massive illegal iron‑ore mining in Karnataka’s Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts, which had caused severe forest loss and financial loss to the exchequer. A Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and a Court‑appointed Joint Team surveyed 166 mining leases, categorising them as A, B or C ba…

Tata Steel and its subsidiary TISCO operate captive coal mines in Jharkhand. The dispute concerned whether royalty under Section 9 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 should be levied on raw Run‑of‑Mine (ROM) coal extracted at the pit‑head or on the beneficiated coal removed from the leased…

The cement companies, claiming to be ryotwari pattadars, challenged a Tamil Nadu Government order that required them to pay full royalty and dead rent on mining leases, arguing they were entitled to a 50% concessional rate. The High Court had partially restrained the State from demanding royalty above 50% for patta lan…

The Supreme Court examined illegal mining in Odisha where numerous leaseholders were operating without environmental or forest clearances and without renewal under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The Central Empowered Committee identified 102 non‑working leases, 29 rejected or lapsed leas…

The dispute concerned the grant of a mining lease over a 10‑acre granite area in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh. Respondent No.4 (the earlier lessee) applied for re‑grant of the lease after the area was withdrawn from an auction/tender regime (Chapter IV) and returned to the normal lease procedure (Chapter II). Rule 72 of the U…

Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd. sought a mining lease for iron ore to feed its steel plant. The State of Odisha had earlier agreed, under an MoU, to recommend the petitioner's case to the Central Government, but the Supreme Court found that the State had complied by sending its recommendation. The petitioner argued that a 2…

The Supreme Court examined a batch of appeals concerning the levy of transit fees on forest produce under the Indian Forest Act, 1927. It held that crushing stone boulders into grits, marble slabs, limestone, coal and related minerals does not change their character as forest produce, and that the Forest Act and its 19…

The case involved challenges to State legislation levying cesses on coal-bearing land, mineral-bearing land, brick-earth, and tea estates in West Bengal, and on mineral rights in Uttar Pradesh. The Constitution Bench, by a 4:1 majority (Lahoti, J. for himself, Khare CJI, Agrawal and Lakshmanan JJ.; Sinha, J. dissenting…

The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries and other mining entities challenged the validity of notifications establishing District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) and the associated contribution rules under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, arguing that the DMFs were retrospectively created an…

The case concerned the renewal and re‑grant of mining leases for iron and manganese ores in Karnataka. Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores Ltd. and MSPL Ltd. challenged the Karnataka State Government’s recommendation to grant a mining lease to Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd. and Kalyani Steels Ltd., arguing that the recommendat…

The petitioners, Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Ltd. and a shareholder, challenged the constitutional validity of the explanations appended to Rule 38 of the 2016 Minerals Concession Rules and Rule 45(8)(a) of the 2017 Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, which require that royalty, District Mineral Foundation (DM…

The State of Gujarat entered into a 20‑year mining lease with the respondents for bauxite extraction. The State later de‑reserved the mining area and sought Central Government permission to impose conditions, including the establishment of a captive plant, under Rule 27(3) of the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960. When th…

The Supreme Court examined the legality of Sarda Mines Private Limited’s (SMPL) mining operations after it received a permission on 13 July 1999 to extract 1.4 LTPA of mineral iron ore and an environmental clearance on 22 September 2004 for expanding production of iron ore (lump) to 4.0 MTPA. The Court held that the 20…

The State of West Bengal appealed against a High Court order directing the execution of a mining lease for dolomite to M/s. Chiranjilal (Mineral) Industries (the respondent). The dispute centered on whether the respondent's 1998 application for a mining lease remained eligible under the Mines and Minerals (Development …

H.G. Rangangoud applied for a mining lease which was later reserved by the Central Government in favour of State Trading Corporation of India Ltd. The Karnataka High Court, through a single judge, quashed the reservation. Before filing an appeal, Rangangoud informed the State Government of the order and sought its impl…

The appellant, B.R. Surendranath Singh, a holder of a mining lease in Karnataka, alleged that about one lakh tonnes of iron ore found on his lease area had been illegally dumped by third parties and sought to prevent the Department of Mines and Geology from auctioning the ore. The Department seized the ore, identified …

The State of Rajasthan leased land to Hindustan Zinc Ltd. for extracting lead and zinc under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The State issued notices demanding additional royalty, arguing that royalty should be payable on all metal extracted, including that remaining in tailings. Hindusta…

The State of Bihar appealed against a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that barred sand mining in Banka district until a District Survey Report (DSR) received approval from the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). The Supreme Court examined whether th…

Gali Janardhan Reddy, accused of several serious offences under the IPC, Indian Forest Act and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2015 with a condition that he not visit Bellary (Karnataka) and Ananthapuram and Cuddapah (Andhra Pradesh). He later applied to…

The Supreme Court considered applications seeking permission to transport coal from the State of Meghalaya after a tragic incident in which labourers died in illegal rat‑hole mining. The Court noted that a prior order dated 04‑12‑2018 had allowed transport of 176,655 metric tonnes of coal up to 31‑01‑2019, of which 94,…

The State of Orissa recommended POSCO for a prospecting licence, which Geomin Minerals & Marketing (P) Ltd. challenged, claiming a preferential right as an earlier applicant. The Orissa High Court set aside the recommendation, holding Geomin had such a right, but the Supreme Court found the writ petition premature beca…

The petitioners, Som Datt Builders Ltd. and others, challenged the Central Government's notification declaring "ordinary earth" used for filling and levelling as a "minor mineral" under Section 3(e) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and the subsequent fixing of royalty at Rs.4 per cubic …

Prem Nath Sharma, who held a mining lease for a granite unit under the Uttar Pradesh Minor Minerals (Concession) Rules, 1963, saw his lease expire on 31 March 1995. The District Magistrate (DM) issued a notice on 31 March 1995 under Rule 72(ii) inviting applications for a fresh lease, specifying 2 May 1995 as the date …

The appellants, Geomysore Services and Deccan Gold Exploration, were granted reconnaissance permits (RPs) for gold mining areas in Karnataka and subsequently applied for prospecting licences (PLs). The Karnataka State Government, on behalf of Hutti Gold Mines Ltd., sought to reserve the same areas under Section 17A(2) …

The Supreme Court examined extensive illegal mining in the Aravalli Hills of Haryana, where numerous mines operated without environmental clearances, rehabilitation plans, or compliance with statutory reclamation requirements, causing severe groundwater depletion and ecological damage. The Court considered earlier orde…

The State of Kerala granted mining leases for beach‑sand minerals but later stayed them pending an environmental impact study and subsequently rejected the applications, citing its 2007 industrial policy that such minerals be exploited only by State or Central public‑sector undertakings. The respondents filed revision …

The petitioners, a mining leaseholder and its shareholder, challenged the explanations to Rule 38 of the Mineral (Other than Atomic and Hydrocarbons Energy Minerals) Concession Rules, 2016 and Rule 45 of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 2017, alleging that the inclusion of previously paid royalty, DMF an…

The Supreme Court examined the State of Goa's grant of second renewals of mining leases after illegal mining was uncovered. It held that the earlier *Goa Foundation* judgment required the State to grant fresh mining leases, not renewals, and that the High Court erred in directing execution of lease deeds under Section …

M/s Kalinga Mining Corporation (appellant) challenged the grant of a mining lease to the legal heirs of the deceased Dr. Sarojini Pradhan (respondent No.10). The High Court had earlier allowed the substitution of the legal heirs, dismissed an SLP against that order, and later upheld the lease grant. The appellant argue…

The case involved a partnership firm (AMC) whose reconstitution in 2009 led the Director of Mines and Geology of Karnataka (the appellant) to issue Mineral Dispatch Permits (MDPs) to the new partners. The Central Bureau of Investigation alleged that the appellant acted without the prior State Government sanction requir…

The State of Rajasthan issued a notification on 23 January 2009 amending a 2008 notification that levied an environment and health cess on mineral rights, increasing the rate for rock phosphate and applying it retrospectively from 1 April 2008. Mining lease‑holders challenged the constitutional validity of the amendmen…

M/S. Indsil Hydro Power and Manganese Ltd (the appellant) and Carborundum Universal Ltd (CUMI) entered into agreements with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) under a 1990 Government policy that required payment of royalty for the controlled release of water used in their captive hydro‑electric projects. Both co…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) bars prosecution under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for theft of sand and gravels from riverbeds. The Court held that offences under Section 21 of the MMDR Act (contravention of mining lease conditions) are distin…

The State of Rajasthan raised the royalty on limestone through notifications, prompting lessees to file writ petitions challenging the increase and obtain interim stays that allowed them to pay the lower rate. After the writs were dismissed, the lessees paid the differential royalty but the State demanded interest on t…

The Supreme Court examined whether mining leaseholders, whose operations were suspended for lack of environmental clearances, retained a subsisting right to mine. It held that a lease remains subsisting unless a State Government order declares it lapsed, and that the lease period may be deemed extended under Rule 24A(6…

The appellants, Sulekhan Singh & Co. and others, were granted mining leases in Uttar Pradesh after the State issued a Government Order (G.O.) on 31 May 2012 requiring all minor‑mineral leases to be awarded by e‑tendering under Chapter IV of the U.P. Minor Minerals (Concession) Rules, 1963. The High Court quashed the le…

The corporate debtor, holding a mining lease that was about to expire, sought a deemed extension of the lease through its resolution professional during a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP). The Karnataka Government rejected the extension, prompting the resolution professional to obtain a direction from the…

The Promoters and Builders Association of Pune and the Nuclear Power Corporation excavated ordinary earth – the former for building foundations and the latter for widening a sea‑water intake channel – and were penalised under Section 48(7) of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 for allegedly extracting a minor mine…

The State of Uttar Pradesh sought to recover annual lease rent from Northern Coal Fields Ltd., a government company, for forest land transferred for mining under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957. The land had been acquired by the Central Government in 1981 under s.10(1) of the Act and subs…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals arising from the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) orders that banned rat‑hole coal mining in Meghalaya, directed the State to deposit Rs 100 crore for environmental restoration, and held that all coal extracted after May 2016 vested in the State. The Court held that the NGT…

The Supreme Court examined a massive illegal mining scandal in Odisha involving 187 iron and manganese ore leases, many of which operated without environmental or forest clearances, exceeded mining plans, or violated statutory provisions. The Court rejected the lease‑holders' claim that the Justice M.B. Shah Commission…

The State of Rajasthan challenged the constitutional validity of sub‑rule (10) of Rule 4 and sub‑rule (3) of Rule 7 of the Rajasthan Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1986, which rejected pending applications for minor‑mineral leases and introduced an auction‑based allocation. The appellants argued that the High Court er…

The Supreme Court heard a public‑interest writ petition seeking the cancellation of a mining lease and a ban on mining within one kilometre of the 16th‑century Jambunatha Temple, a protected monument in Karnataka. The petition challenged mining activities that were alleged to have caused structural damage to the temple…

The Supreme Court considered two writ petitions challenging a Gujarat Government resolution and subsequent amendment of the Gujarat Minor Mineral Rules that prohibited the movement of sand excavated in Gujarat to other states or countries. The petitioners argued that the State’s rule‑making power under Sections 15 and …