Pariksha SaathiMinistry of Mines launches ninth tranche of critical and strategic mineral block auction with 20 blocks, and third tranche of Exploration Licence auction
The Ministry of Mines on 5 November 2026 launched the ninth tranche of e-auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks, together with the third tranche of the auction for grant of Exploration Licence (EL) blocks. The launch was officiated by Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, with Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant as Chief Guest and Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey present. In the ninth tranche, 20 critical and strategic mineral blocks are being put up for auction under the Mineral (Auction) Rules, in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal; in the previous eight tranches, 100 unique blocks were offered, of which 64 were successfully auctioned, a success rate of 64%. Exploration Licences, introduced through Section 10BA of the MMDR Act, enable private investment in the exploration of 29 critical and deep-seated minerals specified in the Seventh Schedule of the Act; so far 11 EL blocks have been successfully auctioned in two tranches, and the third tranche offers blocks in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Telangana and Gujarat for minerals including copper, vanadium, rare earth elements, and potash and halite. The Government notified the Mineral (Auction) Third Amendment Rules, 2026 on 16 October 2026, reducing the minimum number of technically qualified bidders required for the second round from three to two for Part D minerals - a change built into the tender documents of both tranches - and Letters of Intent will now be issued automatically through the Unified Mining Portal. Tender documents went on sale from 5 November 2026; the last date for purchase is 1 January 2027 and the last date for submission of bids is 7 January 2027. Critical mineral blocks will be auctioned through a two-stage ascending forward auction, in which the bidder quoting the highest percentage of revenue share wins, and EL blocks through a two-stage descending reverse auction, in which the bidder quoting the lowest percentage share out of the revenue share of the future lessee wins.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
On 11 February 2026 the Ministry of Mines said it would launch the second tranche of auction of Exploration Licence (EL) blocks on 12 February 2026 at the Civil Services Officers' Institute (CSOI), New Delhi, in the presence of Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, calling it another important milestone in reforms aimed at strengthening mineral exploration and ensuring long-term mineral security, particularly for critical and deep-seated minerals. A roadshow was planned on the Exploration Licence framework, the auction methodology and the incentives available to explorers, with presentations on the e-auction process through the MSTC portal, the auction rules and the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) scheme, which provides partial reimbursement of eligible exploration expenditure. According to the release, the first tranche, comprising 13 Exploration Licence blocks covering critical minerals such as Rare Earth Elements (REE), zinc, diamond, copper and Platinum Group Elements (PGE), was jointly launched on 13 March 2025 in Goa by G. Kishan Reddy and the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant.
Check yourself: when and where was the first tranche of the Exploration Licence auction launched, and how many EL blocks did it comprise?
On 13 March 2025, in Goa; 13 Exploration Licence blocks.
Revision task: from this release, note the number of blocks in the ninth tranche, the blocks offered and auctioned in the previous eight tranches and the success rate, the legal basis of Exploration Licences and the number of minerals they cover, the EL blocks auctioned so far, the rule change of 16 October 2026, the tender dates and the two auction methods; from the note, the date, place and number of blocks of the first EL tranche and what the NMET scheme reimburses. Remember who wins in each auction: the highest revenue share for critical mineral blocks, the lowest share for EL blocks.
Test yourself
How many critical and strategic mineral blocks are being put up for auction in the ninth tranche launched by the Ministry of Mines on 5 November 2026?
Show the answer
Answer: 20
In the ninth tranche, 20 critical and strategic mineral blocks are being put up for auction under the Mineral (Auction) Rules. 100 is the number of unique blocks offered in the previous eight tranches, of which 64 were successfully auctioned (a success rate of 64%), and 11 is the number of Exploration Licence blocks auctioned so far in two tranches.
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