National Mineral Policy 2006 - Department of Mines

ilmenite, rutile, and zircon be removed from the list of Prescribed Substances for achievingthe full potential through development of industries in this field. According to the provisionsof the Atomic Energy (Working of Mines, Minerals and Handling of Prescribed Substances)Rules, 1984 read with the list of Prescribed Substances as notified in March 1995, it isnecessary for all entities to obtain a licence from the DAE for undertaking any activityrelating to those minerals that are notified as Prescribed Substances. At the conference, it wasrepresented that four of the seven BSMs notified as Prescribed Substances (ilmenite, rutile,leucoxene, and zircon) can have many routine applications and the licensing proceduresunder the Atomic Energy Act as also the terms and conditions prescribed for concessionholders were too severe and militated against investor confidence. It was also represented tothe DAE that the 1995 list of Prescribed Substances was of generic nature and did not definethreshold limits and specifications. As a result, universal control was being exercised forhandling of any quantity of the Prescribed Substances, irrespective of their nuclear orstrategic applications.7.72 The DAE finally decided to revise the list of Prescribed Substances for three reasons:first, to fall in line with international practices with respect to classification of material assource material, special fissionable material, and other material; second, to harmonise the listof Prescribed Substances with national export controls and the export control lists andguidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the Missile Technology ControlRegime and the consequential notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade(DGFT) amending the list of Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment andTechnologies (SCOMET) as in Appendix 3 to Schedule 2 of ITC (HS) Classification ofExport and Import Items, 2004–09; and third, some of the existing Prescribed Substances arefound to be not directly related to nuclear energy while some others have come to be used inindustries not related to nuclear energy. In the revised list of Prescribed Substances, fourBSMs, viz. ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, and zircon, will cease to be Prescribed Substances andwill be outside the purview of the licensing requirement under the Atomic Energy (Workingof Mines, Minerals and Handling of Prescribed Substances) Rules, 1984. However, handlingand disposal of any radioactive material, arising from processing of BSMs or any otherminerals having radioactivity attract the provisions of the Atomic Energy (RadiationProtection) Rules, 2004 and will continue to be subject to regulation by the AERB. Similarly,certification of export consignments of ilmenite by the AMD for its monazite content willcontinue.171