The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020: Key Features

The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 2, 2020.
It proposes to amend various pre existing mining laws of India. It is for the regulation of
mining sector in India. This amendment is with the objective of ‘ease of doing’ business as it
will increase the production and decrease the dependency on the imports.

The amendment proposes various things like:

- Companies with no prior experience in mining can also be the participant for auction
in the coal as it will increase the participation and facilitate the implementation of FDI
policy.
- The ‘removal of end use restriction’: the auction was allowed for power production
and steel generation. Such a restriction is now removed and the companies can
participate for their own use also.
- Bill proposes licensing cum mining lease
- .The bill allows the bidders to utilize mined coal in any of its plants or subsidiary
plants.
- With the amendments, environment and forest clearances along with other approvals
and clearances shall automatically get transferred to the new owners of mineral blocks
for a period of two years from the date of grant of new lease. 
- Advance action for auction: Under the MMDR Act, mining leases for specified
minerals (minerals other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals) are auctioned on the
expiry of the lease period.  The Bill provides that state governments can take advance
action for auction of a mining lease before its expiry.