**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's response to Starred Question No. 120 regarding forest clearances for critical mineral extraction, which was to be answered on 08.12.2025. The response addresses provisions to prevent misuse of simplified clearance processes, reasons for simplifying clearances, and arrangements for verifying compensatory afforestation and ecological quality. The statement was laid on the table of the House.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Critical Minerals & Forest Clearances:**
* Critical minerals are essential for clean energy, electronics, defense, and economic security.
* Mining in forest areas follows clearance processes under applicable statutes, balancing strategic needs and ecological safeguards.
* The forest clearance process for critical minerals is the same as for non-critical minerals.
* **Clearance Requirements:**
* Requirements include Compensatory Afforestation (CA), payment of Net Present Value (NPV), and site-specific mitigation measures.
* The Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 mandates comprehensive appraisal by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC)/State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC).
* Requires preparation of an Environment Management Plan covering biodiversity, ecosystems, and other ecological parameters.
* Project proponents must ensure adequate financial resources for Environment Management Plan implementation.
* **Monitoring and Verification:**
* The monitoring of clearances granted by the Ministry for mining, including critical minerals in forest areas, is undertaken by State/UT agencies and departments and Regional Offices of the Ministry.
* According to the Ministry’s notification dated 29.08.2025, compliance monitoring of conditions in approvals or clearances may be verified through registered environmental auditors.
* Compensatory afforestation monitoring is conducted per the procedures in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016, and its Rules by the National and State CAMPA Authorities.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change:**
* **Impact:** The Ministry is responsible for establishing and overseeing the clearance processes for critical mineral extraction and for monitoring compliance.
* **Action Required:** The Ministry needs to continue implementing and enforcing the established procedures.
**State/UT Agencies and Departments:**
* **Impact:** Responsible for monitoring clearances granted for mining, including critical minerals, in forest areas.
* **Action Required:** To actively monitor mining projects and ensure compliance with regulations.
**Project Proponents (Mining Companies):**
* **Impact:** Must adhere to the established clearance processes, including requirements for environmental impact assessments, compensatory afforestation, and mitigation measures.
* **Action Required:** Ensure compliance with all regulations, allocate sufficient resources for environmental management, and cooperate with monitoring efforts.
**Environmental Auditors:**
* **Impact:** Verify the compliance monitoring of conditions stipulated in the approvals or clearances granted by the Ministry.
* **Action Required:** Ensure the validity of compliance based on environmental standards.
Key Entities Referenced
Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016: Governs compensatory afforestation for forest clearances, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006: Mandates comprehensive appraisal of projects impacting the environment by Expert Appraisal Committees.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The central ministry responsible for forest clearances and environmental protection.
Forest Clearance for Critical Mineral Extraction: The subject of the parliamentary question, concerning procedures for granting forest clearances for mining critical minerals.
Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh: States where the forest clearance process for mining critical minerals is of particular concern, highlighting specific locations.
OIH
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 120
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025
Forest Clearance for Critical Mineral Extraction
*120 . SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:
SHRI NALIN SOREN:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) the provisions made by the Government to prevent misuse of the simplified clearance
process for mining of critical minerals in the forest areas of the country particularly in
the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand including Dumka Lok Sabha
Constituency, Rajasthan including Bhiwani-Mahendragarh regions and Madhya
Pradesh particularly in Sidhi, Lok Sabha Constituency along with the third-party
mechanisms set up to monitor compliance;
(b) the reasons behind further simplification of forest clearances for extraction of critical
minerals along with the studies conducted to assess the environmental impact on
biodiversity in these areas;
(c) whether the Government has finalized the agencies or independent institutions
responsible for carrying out verification of compensatory afforestation involving
critical mineral mining; and
(d) if so, the arrangements made to ensure the ecological quality of the reclaimed/replanted
areas/lands?
ANSWER
MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the table of the House.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (D) OF LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 120 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8.12.2025 ON “FOREST
CLEARANCE FOR CRITICAL MINERAL EXTRACTION” BY SHRI
BALABHADRA MAJHI AND SHRI NALIN SOREN
(a) & (b) Critical minerals are vital for clean-energy technologies, electronics, defence
preparedness, and the nation’s economic security. Mining of such minerals in forest areas
follows the clearance processes as provided under the applicable statutes to strike a balance
between nation’s strategic needs with ecological safeguards. The process of forest clearance
involves the same procedures as prescribed for non-critical minerals, which include
requirements for Compensatory Afforestation (CA), payment of Net Present Value (NPV),
and implementation of site-specific mitigation measures. Likewise, provisions of
Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, as amended, mandates comprehensive
appraisal by the concerned sectoral Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC)/State Level Expert
Appraisal Committee (SEAC) and preparation of corresponding Environment Management
Plan involving environmental impact assessments, covering biodiversity, ecosystems, and
other ecological parameters while granting environment clearance. The project proponents
need to ensure that adequate financial and other resources are earmarked for the effective
implementation of the Environment Management Plan.
(c) & (d) The monitoring of clearances granted by the Ministry for mining, including
critical minerals in forest areas, is well-defined and undertaken by State/UT agencies and
departments. The monitoring of such proposals is also assigned to Regional Offices of the
Ministry. As per Ministry’ notification dated 29.08.2025, compliance monitoring of
conditions stipulated in the approvals or clearances granted by the Ministry may also be
verified through registered environment auditors.
Further, for compensatory afforestation, monitoring of plantations is carried out as per the
procedures laid down in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016 and its Rules
by the National and State CAMPA Authorities ensuring transparency, accountability, and
effective oversight.
*******