Indian government notifies coking Coal as critical and strategic mineral under MMDR Act, 1957. India has estimated coking coal resources of 37.37 billion tonnes, primarily located in Jharkhand, with additional reserves in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. At present, nearly 95 percent of the steel sector’s coking coal requirement is met through imports, resulting in significant foreign exchange outgo. To address this dependence, the Central Government, exercising powers under Section 11C of the MMDR Act, has amended the First Schedule of the Act. In Part A, the term “Coal” has been revised to read “Coal, including Coking Coal,” and “Coking Coal” has been included in Part D, which lists Critical and Strategic Minerals.