Govt changes classification of barytes, felspar, mica & quartz into major minerals category

New Delhi: The government on Friday said that it has changed the classification of barytes, felspar, mica and quartz into the category of major minerals.

This move would pave the way for an increased exploration and scientific mining of such resources that are primary source of many critical minerals.

Earlier, these were classified as minor minerals.

“The Ministry of Mines vide gazette notification dated 20th February, 2025 has shifted minerals Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz from the list of minor minerals to the category of major minerals,” an official statement said.

The development came on the heels of the government’s National Critical Mineral Mission which seeks exploration and mining of critical minerals within the country including recovery of these minerals from various mines, overburden and tailings.

Quartz, felspar and mica are found in pegmatite rocks, which are an important source of many critical minerals such as beryl, lithium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, tin, titanium and tungsten among others. These minerals have important role in various new technologies, in energy transition, spacecraft industries, and healthcare sector, among others.

When the leases of quartz, felspar and mica mines are granted as minor mineral leases, the lease holders do not declare existence of critical minerals or extract the critical minerals associated with it such as lithium, beryl, etc as their primary objective is to use these minerals as minor minerals for construction, glass/ceramic making, etc. Consequently, the critical minerals associated with these minerals are neither getting extracted nor reported, the mines ministry said.

Similarly, baryte has various industrial applications, including those for oil and gas drilling, electronics, television screens, rubber, glass, ceramics, paint, radiation shielding and medical applications. It is used to make high density concrete to block X-ray emissions in hospitals, power plants, and laboratories.