Mining Engineers' Association of India
MINING ENGINEERS' ASSOCIATION OF INDIA
ABOUT NACRI
Encouraged by committed mineral industry professionals of India, the Mining Engineers’ Association of India (MEAI) laid the foundation to this initiative by organizing a roundtable conference on 18th Dec 2014 at Hyderabad with the participation of several stakeholders including Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Society of Geoscientists and Allied Technologists (SGAT), Geological Society of India (GS), and leading private and public sector mining companies. The National Committee for Reporting Mineral Resources and Reserves in India (NACRI) was formed as an independent body on 19th November 2015 under the guidance of MEAI.
The leading mine owners’ body in India representing the mineral industry viz. Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), Mining Geological and Metallurgical Institute of India (MGMI), SGAT[1], GS and later The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) came forward in support of this initiative. Professionals from leading public and private sector mining companies, prominent consulting companies and premier academic institutions came on board and endorsed this national mission.
NACRI Committees (2023 - 2025)
NACRI Co-Chairs
| Mr S N Mathur, PO-MEAI |
| Dr PV Rao, Domain Expert, NMC |
NACRI Managing Committee (NMC)
| Mr S N Mathur, PO-MEAI |
| Mr K Madhusudhana, PO-MEAI |
| Dr PV Rao, Co-Chair, NACRI |
| Dr Abani Samal, Domain Expert, NACRI |
NACRI Reps to CRIRSCO
| Mr K Madhusudhana, PO-MEAI |
| Dr PV Rao, Co-Chair, NACRI |
NACRI Members (2023 - 2025)
| Name | Organization | As per NACRI Figure-1 | Domain expertise | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. PV Rao | Consultant | Domain Expert | Geostats | Co-Chair |
| Mr. K Madhusudhana | MEAI- Past President | PO | Mining | Co-Chair |
| Mr. Deepak Rathod | Adani group | Leading Company | Geology | Team Leader-1 |
| Mr. KS Solanki | Vedanta | Leading Company | Geology | Team Leader-2 |
| Mr. Shameek Chattopadhyay | Consultant | Domain Expert | Geology | Team Leader-3 |
| Dr. AK Sarangi | Ex-UCIL | Leading Company | Geology | Team Leader-4 |
| Dr. A Srikant | Consultant | Domain Expert | Geotechnical | Team Leader-5 |
| Mr. Arun K Kothari | MEAI- Past President | PO | Mining | Team Leader-6 |
| Dr. Abani Samal | Consultant | Domain Expert | Geostats | Member |
| Mr. T Victor | MEAI- Past President | PO | Mining | Member |
| Mr. SN Mathur | Ex-GMDC | PO | Mining | Member |
| Mr. TR Rajasekar | Consultant | Domain Expert | Geology | Member |
| Mr. S Kumaraswamy | Consultant | Domain Expert | Mining | Member |
| Mr. TN Gunaseelan | Consultant | Domain Expert | Mining | Member |
| Dr. Indranil Saha | Tata Steel | Leading Company | Geology | Member |
| Mr. Pankaj Saran | Ambuja Cement | Leading Company | Mining | Member |
| Dr. SK Sinha | NMDC | Leading Company | Mining | Member |
| Mr. RK Sharma | FIMI-SG | Supporting Organisation | Management | Member |
| Mr. N Rajendran | Geol. Soc. of India | Supporting Organisation | Geology | Member |
| Dr. T Venugopal | Consultant | Domain Expert | Geology | New Member |
| Mr. Ravindra kumar Sharma | Consultant | Domain Expert | Geology | New Member |
| Dr. Manas Mukhopadhyay | MECON | Domain Expert | Environment | New Member |
| Mr. AP Dhurandhar | Consultant | Domain Expert | Geology | New Member |
| Vacant | ASSOCHAM | Supporting Organisation | Member | |
| Vacant | IBM | Govt body | Member | |
| Vacant | GSI | Govt body | Member | |
| Vacant | SEBI | Govt body | Member | |
| Vacant | AMD | Atomic minerals | Member | |
| Vacant | MECL | Leading Exploration Company | Member |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the process adopted by NACRI in enlisting the domain experts / other representatives as its members?
NACRI (National Committee for Reporting Mineral Resources and Reserves in India) is guided by the NACRI Charter, approved by CRIRSCO (Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards) as on 1-8-2019, in the organisation and administration of all its activities. Amendments to the NACRI Charter shall become effective only after receiving the approval of CRIRSCO.
As per the NACRI Charter, the member strength of NACRI is limited to a maximum of 30 members drawn from all the stakeholder categories viz. Professional Organisations (PO), Supporting Organisations (SO), leading mining companies, leading exploration companies, and independent, government, and mineral industry nominated domain experts. Domain experts of repute shall be identified, by consensus, by NACRI and the Co-Chairs of NACRI shall formally invite such domain experts to join NACRI. MEAI is the only PO recognised in India by CRIRSCO and it may nominate a maximum of four members.
The NACRI Managing Committee (NMC) comprises two representatives from each Professional Organisation (PO) and two representatives from the Domain Experts category. The member strength of NMC shall not exceed 10.
The term of a NACRI member shall be for two years. However, the member is eligible for re-nomination beyond the two years period.
For more details, please refer to the attached NACRI Charter, Article 3
Who are the current 30 members of NACRI?
Below is the current list of NACRI members, organization they represent, composition of NACRI, area of domain expertise, and the position held in NACRI.
Who are the other countries that have the NACRI type of setup and their role in CRIRSCO?
A) The CRIRSCO is currently represented worldwide by 15 mineral rich countries/ group of countries. The list of these 15 CRIRSCO member countries represented by their respective National Reporting Organisations (NRO) that have similar, if not identical, organisation setup like NACRI, as approved by CRIRSCO is given below. For more details and ready comparison on the topic, attached are the JORC (Australasian) Charter (Attachment-II) and Terms of Reference (Attachment-III).
B) The role of a Professional Organisation (Mining Engineers’ Association of India-MEAI) recognized by CRIRSCO includes:
| SL.No | Country | National Reporting Organisation (NRO) |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Australia | JORC |
| 02 | Brazil | CBRR |
| 03 | Canada | CIM |
| 04 | Chile | Comision Minera |
| 05 | Colombia | CCRR |
| 06 | Europe | PERC |
| 07 | India | NARCI |
| 08 | Indonesia | KCMI |
| 09 | Kazakhstan | KAZRC |
| 10 | Mongolia | MPIGM |
| 11 | Philippines | PMRC |
| 12 | Russia | OERN |
| 13 | South Africa | SAMCODES |
| 14 | Turkey | UMREK |
| 15 | United States of America | SME |
- Self-regulated professional organisation: An independent body representing the interests of mineral industry professionals.
- Membership: It enrols mineral industry professionals at different levels of membership, defines membership requirements based on academic qualifications and professional experience.
- Development: It promotes continuous Professional Development; conducts training, seminars, webinars, workshops to develop and maintain skills; verify and maintain CP training records and RCP records.
- Discipline: It oversees the professional conduct of its members, adopts enforceable code of ethics, and enforces disciplinary process for breach of ethics /conduct.
- To develop and maintain the Indian Mineral Industry Code (IMIC) compatible with CRIRSCO Template.
- To consult the other NROs before amending the IMIC to maintain alignment and consistency with CRIRSCO Template.
- To identify credible self-regulating professional bodies such as MEAI with Enforceable Code of Ethics and Discipline, and oversee the behaviour of Competent Persons as PO.
- To extend active support to CRIRSCO activities by nominating two NACRI Representatives on CRIRSCO.
- To encourage best practices leading to Reliable Mineral Resource/ Reserve Reports and better serve the interest of investors.
What is the process adopted by MEAI to Register Competent Person (RCP) under IMIC?
The Indian Mineral Industry Code (The IMIC) developed by NACRI is compliant with the CRIRSCO International reporting template. Clause-9 of IMIC provides the complete details of the professional qualification and experience requirements for registration of a Person as Registered Competent Person by MEAI.
An RCP is a minerals industry professional, who is a Life Member of a Professional Organisation headquartered in India and approved by NACRI or of a ‘Recognised Professional Organisation’ (RPO).
The educational qualification requirements to become a Life Member of MEAI include:
To renew the RCP Certificate, an RCP shall obtain at least 40 hours of professional development credits in a year through participation in NACRI accredited seminars, conferences, workshops, training programs or webinars to ensure the RCPs are abreast of the best practices in the industry that they are serving.
Each PO shall constitute an RCP registration committee that includes at least 2 NACRI nominated members to oversee the unbiased enforcement and efficient management. Similarly, the Ethics committee, Complaints committee, and Professional Development Committee shall also be appointed by the PO. These committees shall be co-terminus with the two-year term of the President of MEAI or PO.
The list of RCPs registered for the first time and the RCPs renewed, as maintained at MEAI Headquarters, is attached.
The educational qualification requirements to become a Life Member of MEAI include:
- A degree or equivalent diploma in mining engineering or mine surveying or any other branch of engineering, or post graduate degree in geology or computer science with at least one year’s experience in mining and mineral industry after acquiring requisite qualification, [or]
- A Manager’s Certificate of Competency or a holder of Surveyor’s Certificate of competency with 3 years’ experience in mining and mineral industry, [or]
- A diploma in Mining Engineering or any branch of engineering, or a graduate degree in geology or mineral processing or environmental science with 3 years of experience in mining and mineral industry.
To renew the RCP Certificate, an RCP shall obtain at least 40 hours of professional development credits in a year through participation in NACRI accredited seminars, conferences, workshops, training programs or webinars to ensure the RCPs are abreast of the best practices in the industry that they are serving.
Each PO shall constitute an RCP registration committee that includes at least 2 NACRI nominated members to oversee the unbiased enforcement and efficient management. Similarly, the Ethics committee, Complaints committee, and Professional Development Committee shall also be appointed by the PO. These committees shall be co-terminus with the two-year term of the President of MEAI or PO.
The list of RCPs registered for the first time and the RCPs renewed, as maintained at MEAI Headquarters, is attached.
What is the role played by the NACRI/ MEAI in training the mineral industry professionals on IMIC and Code of Ethics to enable them to become Registered Competent Persons (RCP)?
NACRI has been responsible for training the Registered Competent Person (RCP) and imparting a 40-hour mandatory training on IMIC and Code of ethics, with the active support and participation of MEAI. The faculty for the IMIC training are drawn mainly from the NACRI but also invite domain experts on specialized topics, wherever necessary.
Till now, four such training programs (Three online and one in-person) were conducted by NACRI from MEAI Headquarters, Hyderabad. NACRI has been planning to impart onsite IMIC training at some of MEAI’s 27 Chapters that are located at the major mining hubs in the country.
MEAI/ NACRI is looking forward to the funding support from the Indian government in successfully training the mineral industry professionals on IMIC & Code of ethics to upgrade their skills and make them eligible as RCPs. Hitherto, most of the faculty from NACRI have been extending their services voluntarily without seeking any remuneration. Only the travel and accommodation expenses of the faculty have been supported.
Till now, four such training programs (Three online and one in-person) were conducted by NACRI from MEAI Headquarters, Hyderabad. NACRI has been planning to impart onsite IMIC training at some of MEAI’s 27 Chapters that are located at the major mining hubs in the country.
MEAI/ NACRI is looking forward to the funding support from the Indian government in successfully training the mineral industry professionals on IMIC & Code of ethics to upgrade their skills and make them eligible as RCPs. Hitherto, most of the faculty from NACRI have been extending their services voluntarily without seeking any remuneration. Only the travel and accommodation expenses of the faculty have been supported.
What the Mines Secretary proposed to NACRI on mapping one MEMC compliant Geological Report (GR), prepared by GSI/ MECL and used by the State governments, for auctioning of mineral blocks in India, to an IMIC compliant report?
NACRI agreed to undertake the proposed mapping exercise in association with the author(s) of the concerned GSI/ MECL GR report or independently, identify the problems faced in mapping, and suggest robust procedures leading to successful adoption of IMIC by the government.
However, NACRI cautions that the MEMC compliant GRs are not amenable, in principle, for mapping to IMIC compliant Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Reserves, for the following two reasons:
Nonetheless, the IMIC compliant reports could be mapped to UNFC-2009 Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Reserves categories through a bridging document (2015) that has been approved jointly by CRIRSCO and UNECE. Similarly, it would be possible to map in future the IMIC compliant reports to UNFC-2019 Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Reserves categories through a bridging document that is being finalised jointly by CRIRSCO and UNECE, and shall be ready for release in early part of 2024. This will greatly assist in integrating the IMIC reports directly into National Mineral Inventory (NMI) of India, prepared and maintained by IBM.
However, NACRI cautions that the MEMC compliant GRs are not amenable, in principle, for mapping to IMIC compliant Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Reserves, for the following two reasons:
- a. The “Mineral Resource definition” incorporated in the MEMC Rules, 2021 do not satisfy the elementary rule, “Reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction”, which is fundamental to Mineral Resource definition under IMIC.
- b. MEMC, 2021 compliant reports (GR) are not prepared by Competent Persons with the necessary minimum educational qualification and the type of experience. Moreover, the author(s) of the GR are not governed by an enforceable Code of ethics. However, the author(s) should be an RCP to prepare the IMIC compliant Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves reports.
Nonetheless, the IMIC compliant reports could be mapped to UNFC-2009 Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Reserves categories through a bridging document (2015) that has been approved jointly by CRIRSCO and UNECE. Similarly, it would be possible to map in future the IMIC compliant reports to UNFC-2019 Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Reserves categories through a bridging document that is being finalised jointly by CRIRSCO and UNECE, and shall be ready for release in early part of 2024. This will greatly assist in integrating the IMIC reports directly into National Mineral Inventory (NMI) of India, prepared and maintained by IBM.
What are the NACRI’s suggestions to implement the IMIC in India without disturbing the ongoing mineral blocks auction system?
IMIC and UNFC/ MEMC systems are complementary to each other but not competitors. So, the government may adopt the usage of UNFC, 2019 for maintaining NMI by IBM. Simultaneously, the government may also recognise IMIC as the reporting code in India for Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Reserves to bring in transparency and thereby attract FDI / private investments. The same may be notified to SEBI in protecting the investors’ interests.
It is essential that the mineral industry communicates the risks associated with investment effectively and transparently in order to earn the level of trust necessary to underpin its activities. To address the concerns of stakeholders, NACRI recommends to disclose the Exploration results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves in India as suggested below:
It is essential that the mineral industry communicates the risks associated with investment effectively and transparently in order to earn the level of trust necessary to underpin its activities. To address the concerns of stakeholders, NACRI recommends to disclose the Exploration results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves in India as suggested below:
- The ‘LISTED’ Indian exploration/ mining companies in the INTERNATIONAL stock exchanges may continue disclosing the Exploration results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves reports as per the Stock Exchange-Specific CRIRSCO compliant reporting standard(s), including IMIC. The IMIC compliant reports may then be captured directly into NMI though a CRIRSCO and UNECE approved bridging document that is already in place. This suggestion may be implemented from the day the government approves IMIC implementation in India as these companies are fully equipped.
- The ‘UNLISTED’ large exploration/ mining companies in India that have high potential for listing in the near future in INDIA shall disclose the Exploration results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves reports as per IMIC. The IMIC compliant reports may then be captured directly into NMI though a CRIRSCO and UNECE approved bridging document that is already in place. This suggestion may be implemented within a year from the day the government approves IMIC implementation in India.
- The ‘UNLISTED’ medium and small exploration companies/ Organisations/ mining companies in India that are not intending to list in the Indian stock exchanges in near future, may disclose the Exploration results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as per IMIC or UNFC-2019. The IMIC compliant reports may then be captured directly into NMI though a CRIRSCO and UNECE approved bridging document that is already in place. This suggestion may be implemented within a year from the day the government approves IMIC implementation in India.
- The GEOLOGICAL REPORTS prepared by the exploration agencies such as GSI, MECL, and others, specifically intended for mineral blocks ‘AUCTIONING’ in India, may disclose the Exploration results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as per IMIC and also as per UNFC-2019, if felt necessary. NACRI would be willing to augment the government’s efforts in presenting these reports to prospective bidders transparently in an easy-to-understand language and simple Resources/ Reserves terminology. This suggestion may be implemented within 3 months from the day the government approves IMIC implementation.
- Planning and propagating the IMIC training to a large number of professionals serving the Indian mineral industry – by NACRI,
- Strengthening RCP certification process of those IMIC trained professionals that meet other certification requirements – by MEAI, and
- Identification and organization of appropriate faculty (Indian as well as overseas faculty from other NROs with the support of CRIRSCO) – by NACRI.
NACRI NEWS
Mining Engineers’ Association of India (MEAI) rolled out the registration of Registered Competent Person (RCP) under Indian Mineral Industry Code (IMIC). MEAI is a Professional Organization (PO) in India, recognized by National Committee for Reporting Mineral Resources and Reserves in India (NACRI), with the obligation to offer professional development programs to its members, register RCPs and oversee the ethical behavior of RCPs. NACRI is the National Reporting Organization (NRO) recognized by the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO).
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