Description

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Context:

India's state-run miner NMDC is expected to extract 6,500 carats of diamonds, worth $3.4 million, this fiscal year from ores in a mine near a tiger reserve, after receiving mining clearances last year.

About National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC)

Attribute	Details
Incorporation	1958
Ownership	Wholly owned public undertaking of the Government of India
Administrative Control	Ministry of Steel, Government of India
Classification	NAVRATNA public sector enterprise (since 2008)
Engaged in Exploration	Iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite, and beach sands
Largest Producer of Iron Ore	NDMC is India's largest producer of iron ore.
Annual Production	Over 45 million tonnes of iron ore.
Mining Locations	Bailadila sector (Chhattisgarh), Donimalai (Bellary-Hospet region, Karnataka)
Production Technology	Fully mechanized mines
Cost of Production	One of the lowest-cost iron ore producers in the world.
Market	Primarily the domestic Indian steel market.
Sales Contracts	Mostly under long-term sales contracts.
Diamond Mining	Operates India's only mechanized diamond mine at Panna, Madhya Pradesh.
Mining Complexes Rating	Rated 5 stars by the Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Mines.
Headquarters	Hyderabad, Telangana

About Diamond

Category	Details
Hardness	Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth.
Formation	Diamonds form in the Earth's mantle and enter the crust through volcanism. They are often found in volcanic landforms like dykes and sills.
Uses	Ornaments Polishing metal surfaces Grinding of gemstones High-end drills for mineral exploration and extraction
India's Diamond Regions	Vindhayan System: Panna and Golconda diamonds Key Locations: Panna belt (Madhya Pradesh), Wajrakarur Kimberlite Pipe (Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh), Krishna River basin (Andhra Pradesh), Raichur-Gulbarga (Karnataka)
Reserves in India	Estimated in Panna belt and Krishna Gravels belt (Andhra Pradesh) New fields discovered in Raichur-Gulbarga districts (Karnataka)
Cutting & Polishing	Modern techniques used in centers like Surat, Navasari, Ahmedabad, Palampur, etc.
Leading Global Producers	Russia Botswana Canada Australia South Africa Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) Namibia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Venezuela, Brazil
Synthetic Diamonds	The United States is the largest producer of synthetic industrial diamonds.
Russia	Believed to possess the largest and richest diamond resources in the world.
Botswana	Leading producer by value and second largest by volume Major Mines: Orapa and Jwaneng Produces a variety of diamonds (sizes, colors, clarity)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)	One of the largest producers of diamonds in Africa.
Australia	Leading producer of colored diamonds, including pink, purple, and red diamonds.
South Africa	Has the most diverse range of diamond deposits (surface mining, underground kimberlite pipes, dykes, and fracking).

Source:

THE HINDU

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) plays a pivotal role in India's mineral sector. Discuss its contributions to the economy, the challenges it faces in sustainable mining and the measures needed to enhance its efficiency and environmental responsibility. (150 words)