Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Ins. by Act 16 of 2023, s. 2 (w.e.f. 17-8-2023). 5 (e) “minor minerals” means building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand other than sand used for prescribed purposes, and any other mineral which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be a minor mineral; 1[(ea)“notified minerals” means any mineral specified in the Fourth Schedule;] (f) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 2[(fa) “production” or any derivative of the word “production” means the winning or raising of mineral within the leased area for the purpose of processing or dispatch;] (g) “prospecting licence” means a licence granted for the purpose of undertaking prospecting operations; 3* * * * * (h) “prospecting operations” means any operations undertaken for the purpose of exploring, locating or proving mineral deposit ; 4*** 5[(ha) “reconnaissance operations” means any operations undertaken for preliminary prospecting of a mineral through regional, aerial, geophysical or geochemical surveys and geological mapping, include pitting, trenching, drilling and sub-surface excavation;] (hb) “reconnaissance permit” means a permit granted for the purpose of undertaking reconnaissance operations; 4***] 2[(hba) “Schedule” means the Schedules appended to the Act;] 1[(hc) “Special Court” means a Court of Session designated as Special Court under sub-section (1) of section 30B; and] (i) the expressions, “mine” and “owner”, have the meaning assigned to them in the Mines Act, 1952 (35 of 1952). 2[Explanation.—For the purpose of this clause, — (i) a mine continues to be a mine till exhaustion of its mineable mineral reserve and a mine may have different owners during different times from the grant of first mining lease till exhaustion of such mineable mineral reserve; (ii) the expression “mineral reserve” means the economically minearble part of a measured and indicated mineral resource.] CHAPTER II GENERAL RESTRICTIONS ON UNDERTAKING PROSPECTING AND MINING OPERATIONS