Bhagwan Dass vs State Of U.P. And Ors on 24 March, 1976
"........The expression "minor mineral" as defined in Section
3(e) includes `ordinary clay' and `ordinary sand'. If the
expression "minor mineral" as defined in Section 3(e) of the
Act includes `ordinary clay' and `ordinary sand', there is no
reason why earth used for the purpose of making bricks
should not be comprehended within the meaning of the word
"any other mineral" which may be declared as a "minor
mineral" by the Government. The word "mineral" is not a
term of art. It is a word of common parlance, capable of a
multiplicity of meanings depending upon the context. For
example the word is occasionally used in a very wide sense
to denote any substance that is neither animal nor
vegetable. Sometimes it is used in a narrow sense to mean
no more than precious metals like gold and silver. Again, the
word "minerals" is often used to indicate substances
obtained from underneath the surface of the earth by digging
or quarrying. But this is not always so as pointed out by
Chandrachud, J. (as he then was) in Bhagwan Dass v. State
of U.P."