1. Short title, extent and commencement.―

(1) This Act may be called the Mines and Minerals 2[(Development and Regulation)] Act, 1957. 

(2) It extends to the whole of India. 

(3) It shall come into force on such date3 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. 

2. Declaration as to expediency of Union Control.―It is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public interest that the Union should take under its control the regulation of mines and the development of minerals to the extent hereinafter provided. 

3. Definitions.―In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,― 4 [(a) “leased area” means the area specified in the mining lease within which mining operations can be undertaken and includes the non-mineralised area required and approved for the activities falling under the definition of mine as referred to in clause (i); (aa) “minerals” includes all minerals except mineral oils;] (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; 5“notified minerals” means any mineral specified in the Fourth Schedule;