Why in the news?
India and the United States signed a Critical Minerals Framework to secure supply chains amid concerns over China’s rare earth export restrictions.
Critical Minerals
Essential for:
- Economic development
- National security
- Clean energy transition
- Examples: Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Graphite, and Rare Earth Elements (REEs)
Rare Earth Elements (REEs)
- Group of 17 metallic elements used in: EVs, Defence systems, Electronics, Renewable energy, and Semiconductors
Why Important?
- Crucial for EVs, solar panels, batteries
- Used in missiles, fighter jets, AI hardware
- Key to semiconductor and telecom industries
China’s Dominance
China dominates rare earth processing and refining, creating:
- Supply chain vulnerabilities
- Geopolitical risks
- Export control concerns
[2025] Consider the following statements:
I. India has joined the Minerals Security Partnership as a member.
II. India is a resource-rich country in all the 30 critical minerals that it has identified.
III. The Parliament in 2023 has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 empowering the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite license for certain critical minerals.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
[A] I and II only
[B] II and III only
[C] I and III only
[D] I, II and III
