Government Notifies Coking Coal as Critical & Strategic Mineral under MMDR Act, 1957

• Ministry of Coal has notified Coking Coal as a Critical & Strategic Mineral under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 on 29 January 2026.
• Significant for Prelims (statutory tagging, schedule amendment) and Mains GS-III (mineral security, steel sector, Aatmanirbharta).
• Aligns with Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047; based on recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Implementation of Viksit Bharat Goals (HLC-VB) with NITI Aayog inputs.