Definitions
3. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:
a. "minerals" includes all minerals except minerals oils;
b. "minerals oils" includes natural gas and petroleum;
c. "mining lease" means a lease granted for the purpose of undertaking mining operations, and includes a sub-lease granted for such purpose;
d. "mining operations" means any operations undertaken for the purpose of wining any mineral;
e. "minor minerals" means building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand other than sand used for prescribed purposes, and any other mineral which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be a minor mineral;
f. "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
g. "prospecting licence" means a licence granted for the purpose of undertaking prospecting operations;
h. "prospecting operations" means any operations undertaken for the purpose of exploring, locating or proving mineral deposits;
[(ha) "reconnaissance operations" means any operations undertaken for preliminary prospecting of a mineral through regional, aerial, geophysical or geochemical surveys and geological mapping, but does not include pitting, trenching, drilling (except drilling of boreholes on a grid specified from time to time by the Central Government) or sub-surface excavation;
(hb) "reconnaissance permit" means a permit granted for the purpose of undertaking reconnaissance operations; and].
(i) the expressions, "mine" and "owner", have the meanings assigned to them in the Mines Act, 1952.
