Introduction
Mining is one of the core sectors and growth driver of Indian
economy. Minerals and ores provide basic raw materials to many
important industries like power generation (thermal), iron and
steel, cement, petroleum and natural gas, petrochemicals,
fertilisers, precious & semi-precious metals/stones, electrical
and electronics equipment, glass, ceramics etc.
The COVID 19 pandemic has adversely affected the mining of
ferrous, non-ferrous and minor minerals. The operations of mines -
iron ore, coking coal, thermal coal, limestone, dolomite, manganese
and chromite and running of ferro alloy and pellet plants (which
supply raw material to steel plants) covered under "essential
services" and exempted from the nation wide lockdown
