New Delhi, July 18 -- The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025, which is expected to be tabled during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament will help fast-track mining of critical minerals and operationalise the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), people familiar with the matter said. The draft legislation is expected to facilitate sourcing, exploration and mining of critical minerals outside India. NCCM envisions securing a long-term sustainable supply of critical minerals and strengthening India's critical mineral value chains encompassing all stages from mineral exploration and mining to beneficiation, processing, and recovery from end-of-life products. A key aspect of the mission is also acquisition of critical mineral assets abroad. Under the mission, funds for domestic critical mineral exploration and exploration activities abroad are to be funded by National Mineral Exploration Trust, which can currently only be utilised for domestic reserves. "The amendment will be key to facilitate use of NMET funds for mining, sourcing activities abroad," said one of the people cited above. NMET is expected to provide funds of around Rs.1,600 crore for exploration activities outside India, according to a mission document available on the website of the Union mines ministry. There is a rush among countries to acquire and domestically mine critical minerals due to the global trade disruptions. In response to US's tariff imposition, China placed export restrictions on rare earth elements in April, which not only squeezed supply of crucial minerals and magnets to the West but also to all other importers including India. China effectively has a monopoly over critical rare earth mineral resources. These are key for defence and clean energy technologies. HT reported on July 16 that in a bid to fast-track forest and environmental clearances for critical minerals, including rare earth ones, the Union environment ministry is considering these proposals under a separate head in its Parivesh 2.0 portal....