New Delhi, Nov 14 : Mines Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao said on Tuesday that the Ministry of Mines is in the process of auctioning 20 blocks of critical minerals including lithium and graphite in next two weeks. Interacting with the media, after inaugurating the mining pavilion 'Connecting Beyond Mining' at the India International Trade Fair 2023 (IITF), here, the Secretary said that for mining and processing of critical minerals indigenous technology will be explored. The government has recently identified a list of critical minerals including new age minerals like lithium, cobalt and titanium, important for meeting the modern needs of cutting-edge technology sectors like electronics, telecom, transport and defence. The government has introduced important reforms to open the mining sector for private participation and in particular mineral exploration. Many accredited private exploration agencies have also been empanelled to step up the pace of exploration in the country. Union Minister of Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi in his virtual message said: 'Minerals are integral part of our daily life and mineral serve as raw material for many industries but are also crucial and vital to energy transition to a low carbon-emission economy, and renewable energy technologies that will be required to meet the 'Net Zero' commitment as declared by our Hon'ble Prime Minister.' The Ministry of Mines is participating in the 'India International Trade Fair' to showcase the success and opportunities of the mining sector. To create awareness among the general public about the path breaking reforms underway in the mining and mineral sector, the Ministry of Mines is showcasing a state-of- the-art mining pavilion at IITF, Pragati Maidan from 14th to 27th November 2023. The initiative aims to enlighten the general public about the pivotal role minerals play in our daily lives, influencing everything from the contents of our food plates to electricity generation, mobile phone batteries and even the production of medicines. Mines and minerals are the backbone of our daily lives. A dedicated Kids Zone and VR Zone in the pavilion aim to disseminate information about mines and mining to children, with various types of games and competitions organized for them. Additionally, there will be arrangements for a Selfie Zone for the general public. The first five days of IITF 2023, from November 14 to 18, are exclusively reserved for business days, opening to the general public from November 19 to 27. The fair timings are 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. /IANS