Ministry of Mines Notifies Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 for Faster Operationalisation of Mines and Improving Ease of Doing Business in the Mining Sector

• Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 notified by the Ministry of Mines on 30 March 2026 to accelerate mine operationalisation and improve Ease of Doing Business.
• Amends the parent Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 framed under the MMDR Act, 1957; builds on the 17 October 2025 amendment that introduced intermediary timelines post-LoI.
• UPSC relevance: links GS-III (mining, infrastructure, critical minerals), federalism (state as lessor), and India's critical-mineral strategy.