The Ministry of Mines has launched the fourth tranche of e-auction for critical and strategic minerals, offering concessions for 21 mineral blocks, even as it canceled the auction of 14 mineral blocks from the second tranche. The ministry attributed the cancelation due to poor response. In February, the ministry issued the second tranche to grant concessions for 18 critical and strategic mineral blocks across eight states, with 17 designated for composite licenses and one for a mining lease.