Q.Despite India being one of the countries of the Gondwanaland, its mining industry contributes much less to its Gross Domestic Product(GDP) in percentage. Discuss.

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Reasons for Low Contribution:

• Geographical and Social Overlap: Major mineral reserves are located in ecologically sensitive forest areas inhabited by tribal communities. Balancing mineral extraction with tribal welfare and environmental conservation presents a democratic challenge.
• Regulatory and Legal Bottlenecks: The sector faces complex, multi-layered clearance processes (environmental, forest, and land acquisition), rendering projects economically unviable. Legal interventions, such as the Supreme Court's cancellation of coal block allocations, have also disrupted output.
• High Taxation and Levies: Indian mining is subjected to some of the highest tax burdens globally, including high royalty rates and double taxation.
• Inadequate Exploration: Highly restrictive licensing regimes have historically discouraged private investment in deep-seated mineral exploration.
• Public Sector Monopoly: Key sectors like coal have long been dominated by public sector undertakings (e.g., Coal India), leading to underutilization of assets and inefficiencies.
• Slow Technological Adoption: The transition toward modern, automated, and smart mining technologies has been slow.