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UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1, question 6

Topic: Economy

Q6

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?

  1. (a) I and II only
  2. (b) II and III only
  3. (c) I and III onlyCorrect answer
  4. (d) I, II and III

Solution.

Answer: (c) I and III only

  1. Statement I is correct: India joined the US-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) in June 2023 to secure critical mineral supply chains.
  2. Statement II is incorrect: India is not resource-rich in all 30 identified critical minerals and remains heavily import-dependent for several of them, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rhenium.
  3. Statement III is correct: the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023 empowered the Central Government to exclusively auction mining leases and composite licences for 24 specified critical and strategic minerals listed in Part D of the First Schedule.