(a) [ "leased area " means the area specified in the mining lease within which mining operations can be undertaken and includes the non-mineralized area required and approved for the activities falling under the definition of mine as referred to in clause (i);

(a) “composite licence” means the prospecting licence-cum-mining lease which is a two stage concession granted for the purpose of undertaking prospecting operations followed by mining operations in a seamless manner;

(b) "mineral 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 winning 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 license " means a license 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; [*] [The words " and " omitted by Act 38 of 1999, Section 4 (w.e.f. 18.12.1999).]

(i) the expressions, "mine " and "owner ", have the meanings assigned to them in the “the Occupational Safety, Health andWorking Conditions Code, 2020.”

(i) a mine continues to be a mine till exhaustion of its mineable mineral reserve and a mine may have different owners during different times from the grant of first mining lease till exhaustion of such mineable mineral reserve;

(ii) the expression "mineral reserve " means the economically mineable part of a measured and indicated mineral resource."