G. Kishan Reddy launches second tranche of Exploration Licence block auctions and GSI's Next-Generation Portal
Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy launched the second tranche of Exploration Licence block auctions, covering 11 blocks of critical and deep-seated minerals in eight states, in New Delhi on 12 February 2026.
Summary
Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy launched the second tranche of Exploration Licence (EL) block auctions in New Delhi on 12 February 2026. The tranche has 11 blocks of critical and deep-seated minerals spread across eight states. The Exploration Licence regime was introduced by the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 and the Mineral (Auction) Amendment Rules, 2023 to bring private players into exploration. The Minister also launched the Geological Survey of India's Next-Generation (NG) Portal, a cloud-enabled platform with AI/ML tools that works with the National Geoscience Data Repository.
Key facts
- Date and place
- 12 February 2026, New Delhi
- Launched by
- Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy
- Tranche II
- 11 blocks of critical and deep-seated minerals in 8 states
- Legal basis
- MMDR Amendment Act, 2023; Mineral (Auction) Amendment Rules, 2023
- Also launched
- GSI Next-Generation Portal, linked to NGDR
Practice MCQs 2 questions
How many blocks are offered in the second tranche of Exploration Licence auctions launched on 12 February 2026?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — 11
Tranche-II has 11 blocks of critical and deep-seated minerals across eight states.
The Exploration Licence regime for critical and deep-seated minerals was introduced through which law?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — MMDR Amendment Act, 2023
The EL regime was introduced under the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023, along with the Mineral (Auction) Amendment Rules, 2023.