New Delhi : The Union Cabinet on Wednesday is learnt to have cleared the Amendment of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957, which will allow the private sector to bid for mining critical minerals like lithium.

Sources aware of developments said that out of the list of critical minerals, a few of them have been brought under the proposed amendment, which will allow their mining by the private entities.

In addition to this, the proposed amendment will also allow the Central government to auction these minerals while the royalty will go to states.The government is bullish on procuring critical minerals, especially lithium, which is useful for batteries, especially for electric vehicles.

Lithium is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element.

The element’s high electrochemical potential makes it a valuable component of high energy-density rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.