Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral, classified as a "prescribed substance" under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. It is a critical mineral because it is the principal commercial source of thorium in India, a radioactive element central to the third stage of the country's three-stage nuclear power program. Monazite also contains valuable rare-earth elements (REEs) like cerium and lanthanum, which are essential for high-tech industries.
The mineral's strategic importance led to its regulation under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, which was enacted to ensure the development and control of atomic energy and substances. Monazite is specifically listed as a "prescribed substance" under Section 2(g) of the Act. This designation restricts all activities related to its handling, including mining, processing, export, and import, to government entities. The mechanism is governed by the Atomic Energy (working of the mines, minerals and handling of prescribed substances) Rules, 1984.
Monazite is found in large deposits in the coastal placer sands of states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. Its extraction and processing are exclusively managed by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and its Public Sector Undertaking, IREL (India) Limited (formerly Indian Rare Earths Limited). This strict control connects Monazite directly to India's nuclear strategy and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957.
The regulation has changed recently: in 2019, the Atomic Mineral Concession Rules (AMCR) were amended to set a 0.00% threshold for monazite content in beach sand minerals, effectively barring private-sector mining of any beach sand deposit containing monazite of any grade. This reversed a previous policy that had allowed private mining of beach sand minerals below a 0.75% monazite threshold.