Ministry of Mines organises roadshow for 8th tranche of critical and strategic mineral block auctions in Patna

Exam-focused facts from the 18 August 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The Ministry of Mines organised a roadshow for the 8th tranche of critical and strategic mineral block auctions in Patna, Bihar, on August 17, 2026.
The 8th tranche includes 20 mineral blocks, comprising 3 Mining Lease and 17 Composite Licence blocks.
The blocks offer minerals including Graphite, Rare Earth Elements (REE), Rare Metals, Vanadium, Gallium, Titanium, Molybdenum, Tungsten, Potash, phosphorite, and Glauconite.
The roadshow was chaired by Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, with Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and State Mines Minister Pramod Kumar present.
The event also featured a workshop on the National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust (NMEDT) scheme for partial reimbursement of exploration expenses.