Rajasthan became the first state in India to execute an Exploration Licence for Rare Earth Elements

Rajasthan became the first state in India to execute an Exploration Licence for Rare Earth Elements

¨     Rajasthan became the first state in India to execute an Exploration Licence for Rare Earth Elements (REEs) on 29 July 2026.

¨     The licence covers 207.63 sq. km in the Navatala–Devigarh (Pachpadra) region of Balotra district and Shergarh tehsil of Jodhpur district.

¨     Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metallic elements, comprising the 15 lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium.

¨     The Rajasthan block contains REE minerals such as lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium.

¨     An Exploration Licence provides legal permission for prospecting and geological investigations before mineral extraction.

¨     The licence was granted to the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDI).

¨     The agreement was executed by the Department of Mines and Geology, Rajasthan.

¨     It is the first Exploration Licence Agreement signed under India's updated critical minerals regulatory regime.

¨     The Central Government started auctioning critical and strategic mineral blocks in 2024.

¨     The first phase of Exploration Licence auctions was launched in 2025.