Current Affair 1:

Steel Production Capacity and Percentage of Import

 

The total crude steel production capacity of the country during 2020-21 stood at 143.91 million tonnes. Data on consumption and import of total finished steel along with share of imports in consumption during 2020-21 is shown below: -

India is second largest producer of steel in the world and is net exporter. Certain kind of steel is also imported. The following steps have been taken by the Government to increase steel production in the country: -

1. Notification of Domestically Manufactured Iron &. Steel Products (DMI&SP) Policy for promoting procurement of Made in India steel.
2. Notification of Steel Scrap Recycling Policy to enhance the availability of domestically generated scrap.
3. Issuance of Steel Quality Control Orders to stop manufacturing and import of non-standardized steel.
4. Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) for advanced registration of steel imports.
5.  Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Specialty Steel with an outlay of ₹6,322 crores.
6. Establishment of Project Development Cell in the Ministry to attract and facilitate investment in the steel sector.

Current Affair 2:

Survey for New Minerals

 

The new minerals for which exploration has been done are Emerald, Glauconite, Potash, Molybdenum, Platinum Group of Elements [PGE] and Andalusite.

The Geological Survey of India and Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited have submitted geological reports of 25 Blocks of above-mentioned minerals to the State Governments. On 15.03.2022, amendment in Second Schedule has been notified specifying rates of royalty on these minerals. Now, the States can initiate process for auction of these Blocks.

The States where these minerals are found are as follows:

 

• Potash, Glauconite – Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan (ii) Andalusite – Uttar Pradesh
• PGE – Tamil Nadu, Kerala
• Molybdenum – Tamil Nadu.

Current Affair 3:

Recent Initiatives of Mines Ministry to Check Illegal Mining

 

Section 23C of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR Act) 1957, empowers the State Governments to frame rules to prevent illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals and for the purposes connected therewith. Hence, control of illegal mining comes under the legislative and administrative purview of the State Governments.

The MMDR Act, inter-alia, has the following provisions to curb illegal mining:

1. Penalty for illegal mining was made more stringent by amendment of the MMDR Act in 2015. Penalties for contravention of Section 4(1) and 4(1A) of the Act have been increased from Rs. 25 thousand per hectares to Rs. 5 Lakh per hectare and the term of imprisonment has been increased from 2 years to 5 years.
2. Further, Section 30B of the Act provides for constitution of Special courts by State Governments for speedy trial of Illegal mining/Transportation/Storage cases and 30C of the Act provides that such Special Courts shall be deemed to be a Court of Session.
3. Rule 45 of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, (MCDR) 2017 makes it mandatory for all miners, traders, stockist, exporters and end-users of minerals to register with Indian Bureau of Mines and submit online returns on the production, trade and utilization of minerals to the State Government(s) and Indian Bureau of Mines.
4. The Ministry of Mines, through Indian Bureau of Mines, has developed the Mining Surveillance System (MSS) to use space technology for reporting any illegal mining activity to the State Government who will take necessary action.
5. Mining Surveillance System (MSS) is a satellite-based monitoring system which aims to detect illegal mining activity beyond the lease area through use of satellite images.
6. Also, 22 State Governments have set up Task Forces to control illegal mining and review the action taken by member departments for checking the illegal mining activities at state and district levels.

Further, Stone is a minor mineral under Section 3(e) of the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).

Section 15 of the MMDR Act empowers the State Governments for making rules for regulating the grant of quarry leases, mining leases or other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith. Hence, the regulation of minor minerals comes under the legislative and administrative domain of the State Governments.

 

Current Affair 4:

NITI Aayog and FAO Launch Book

 

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare released a book titled Indian Agriculture towards 2030: Pathways for Enhancing Farmers’ Income, Nutritional Security and Sustainable Food and Farm Systems, at an event organized by NITI Aayog and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Just remember the name and bodies.

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