(1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, -
(a) “Act” means the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (67 of 1957);
(b) “composite licence” means a prospecting licence-cum-mining lease as defined in the Act;
(c) “illegal mining” means any reconnaissance or prospecting or mining operation undertaken by any person or a company in any area without holding a mineral concession as required under sub-section (1) of section 4:
Explanation – For the purpose of this clause, -
(a) violation of any rules, other than the rules made under section 23C, within the mining lease area by a holder of a mining lease shall not include illegal mining; and
(b) any area granted under a mineral concession shall be considered as an area held with lawful authority by the holder of such mineral concession, while determining the extent of illegal mining.
(d) “mineral concession” means a reconnaissance permit, a non-exclusive reconnaissance permit, a prospecting licence, a prospecting licence-cum-mining lease, or a mining lease, as applicable;
(e) “railway” and “railway administration” have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Indian Railways Act, 1989 (24 of 1989);
(f) “run-of-mine” means the raw unprocessed or uncrushed material in its natural state obtained after blasting or digging, from the mineralised zone of a lease area;
(g) “Schedule” means a Schedule appended to these rules;
(h) “scheme of prospecting” means a scheme prepared in compliance with the Minerals (Evidence of Mineral Contents) Rules, 2015 in the format specified by Indian Bureau of Mines from time to time;
(i) “section” means a section of the Act; and
(j) “value of estimated resources” means an amount equal to the product of,-
(i) the estimated quantity of mineral resources for which the prospecting licence, prospecting licence-cum-mining lease or mining lease, as the case may be, is granted, expressed in metric tonne; and
(ii) the average price per metric tonne of such mineral as published by Indian Bureau of Mines for the relevant State for a period of twelve months immediately preceding the month of computation of the value of estimated resources.
(2) The words and expressions used herein but not defined herein shall have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Act or the rules made thereunder.