EAS Sarma, former secretary to the government of India and a noted public policy expert, has written to prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi urging the immediate revocation of the 2023 amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR Act) which permits private companies to mine beach sands rich in Monazite — a critical mineral used in Thorium-based nuclear energy.
In a strongly worded letter, Mr Sarma described the decision to allow private mining of Monazite-rich sands as 'detrimental to national interest'. He warned that it poses a long-term threat to India’s indigenous nuclear development programme.
He called for the government to uphold the strategic vision of Dr Homi J Bhabha, the architect of India’s atomic energy programme, who advocated for the conservation of Thorium resources and a self-reliant approach to nuclear power generation.
Monazite, a rare-earth phosphate mineral found in the beach sands of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh (AP), Tamil Nadu (TN) and Kerala, is a primary source of Thorium — the long-term fuel for India’s advanced nuclear reactors. Mr Sarma noted that India possesses one of the world’s largest Monazite reserves, making its conservation a matter of national security.
Citing historical context, Mr Sarma pointed out that former PM Jawaharlal Nehru had imposed a ban on the export and private mining of Monazite following the advice of Dr Bhabha. "This policy was meant to safeguard India’s Thorium resources for domestic use in nuclear reactors. However, successive governments have been diluting these protections under external and commercial pressure."
He particularly highlighted the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s relaxation of restrictions during its tenure which led to illegal extraction and export of Monazite until judicial and civil society interventions curbed the practice. In 2019, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government reinstated the ban on private mining based on recommendations from the department of atomic energy (DAE).
Mr Sarma expressed concern that the 2023 amendment marked a reversal of that policy, once again exposing the country’s strategic resources to private exploitation.
In his letter, the former secretary argued that private miners, driven by profit motives, cannot be entrusted with safeguarding Monazite. He warned of past violations, including unauthorised extraction and export of Monazite-bearing sands, which breached safety thresholds set by the atomic energy regulatory board (AERB).
He also raised concerns over the government’s broader shift in nuclear policy, including dependence on imported uranium and nuclear reactors which, he said, undermines India’s long-term self-reliance in atomic energy. “Opening the floodgates to foreign nuclear imports is a serious setback to Dr Bhabha’s vision,” Mr Sarma wrote.
Citing international developments, the former secretary noted that several countries — including China, Germany, Canada and the US — are making significant advances in Thorium reactor technologies. He referred to a recent breakthrough in China, where researchers reportedly succeeded in reloading a Thorium-powered reactor while it remained in operation — a global first.
Mr Sarma praised the DAE’s role in advancing research & development (R&D) for Thorium fuel in India and stressed that allowing private mining of Monazite would jeopardise this progress. “India can ill-afford to fritter away its precious Thorium resources for other uses,” he says.
Calling the 2023 amendment to the MMDR Act 'imprudent', Mr Sarma concluded by appealing to PM Modi to revoke the provision allowing private mining of beach sands and ensure that Monazite remains reserved exclusively for public sector extraction aligned with national strategic priorities.
