Workshop on State Mining Index Organized by Ministry of Mines and IIT-ISM

New Delhi: The Ministry of Mines, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology-Indian School of Mines (IIT-ISM), Dhanbad, successfully organized a one-day workshop on the State Mining Index. Held today, the workshop aimed to introduce a comprehensive tool for stakeholders in the mining sector to assess various aspects related to the Ease of Doing Mining Business within a State.

Chaired by Shri V. L. Kantha Rao, Secretary of the Ministry of Mines, the workshop witnessed active participation from policymakers, administrators, and practitioners from both Central and State governments. Notable attendees included Principal Secretaries, Directors, and other officials from 26 States.

In his keynote address, Shri Rao underscored the significance of reflecting States’ efforts in the development of the mining sector in policy narratives. He emphasized the importance of implementing a State Mining Index, which would foster cooperative federalism while stimulating healthy competition among States. Shri Rao stressed the vital role of States in ensuring the success of this initiative, urging active participation and timely submission of statistical returns for data collection efforts.

The workshop served as a platform for in-depth discussions and deliberations on the indicators and sub-indicators of performance that constitute the Index framework and methodology. Inputs and feedback from the participating States will be carefully considered in finalizing the Framework of the State Mining Index. The finalized framework is scheduled for release in July 2024, paving the way for the actual ranking process slated for April 2025.