When there are no deterrents or incentives to prevent irresponsible mining practices, companies may not devote sufficient attention to managing the social and environmental issues associated with mining, especially in jurisdictions with lower regulatory capacity. With increased public consciousness of responsibly sourced products, regulatory authorities and independent initiatives globally have enacted legislation and frameworks to ensure responsible sourcing throughout the supply chain, with a focus on minerals. Responsible mineral value chains require countries to adopt fair and equitable practices at every stage. Such practices would include local communities benefiting from operations and companies protecting communities' social and environmental ecosystems, thereby safeguarding their business interests from litigation now and in the future. Globally, there have been various legislative and independent third-party initiatives that have pushed for the adoption of responsible practices across mineral value chains. Moving forward, mineral procurers and manufacturers are likely to scrutinise upstream suppliers to ensure compliance with global responsible practices. The objective of the paper is to develop methods to mitigate the adverse impacts of mining and processing non-fuel minerals in India, thus enhancing more equitable economic gains and positioning India as an attractive and sustainable jurisdiction for mineral investment. The sustainability of the mineral sector in India has been a pressing concern due to its historic environmental and community impacts. While India has some safeguards that enable responsible mining operations, these regulations should be evaluated against internationally recognised good practices. This paper proposes a framework for responsible mining and processing that entails five pillars: (i) Resource Allocation, (ii) Environmental Sustainability, (iii) Community Benefit Sharing, (iv) Health and Safety and (v) Monitoring and regulation. The authors have identified three priority areas under each of these pillars based on their field studies and consultations across the top three mining states in India – Odisha, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The paper aims to inform policymakers and industry experts about the concerns communities face and the solutions that could help mitigate them. The effective implementation of this framework would require coordinated efforts by regulatory authorities and private entities to build a more responsible mineral sector in India. METHODOLOGY An extensive review of India's mining and environmental legislation, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957, and the Environment Protection Act, 1988, is conducted to evaluate the existing mechanisms for addressing responsible mining challenges. The paper also critically examines the safeguards provided to communities under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, the regulations pertaining to local governing bodies of a village – Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) (PESA) Act, 1996 and the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act, 2013. Globally recognised frameworks for responsible mineral value chains, proposed by renowned organisations such as the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), and the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), have been analysed to assess their applicability in the Indian context. Secondary literature helped the authors identify priority areas for responsible practices in India and their limitations. Primary stakeholder consultations were conducted across three major mining states in India – Odisha, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. 144
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