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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) I and III only
India became the 14th member of the US-led Mineral Security Partnership in June 2023, and the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 let the Centre alone auction mining leases and composite licences for listed critical minerals. But India is far from self-sufficient: it depends mostly on imports for minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel.
- ✓ I The Ministry of Mines told Parliament that India joined the Mineral Security Partnership as its 14th member in June 2023.
- ✗ II India identified 30 critical minerals in June 2023 precisely because supply is a risk; for several of them, including lithium, cobalt and nickel, it relies mostly on imports.
- ✓ III The 2023 amendment empowered the Central Government to exclusively auction mining leases and composite licences for critical minerals in Part D of the First Schedule; the States still grant the lease and keep the revenue.
Remember · Critical minerals: 30 identified (June 2023); MSP member since June 2023; MMDR Amendment 2023 lets the Centre auction them while States keep the revenue.
Sources
- PIB (Ministry of Mines), Strengthening of Mineral Supply Chains, 7 August 2023 ↗ “India has become 14th member of the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) in June 2023.”
- PIB (Ministry of Mines), Union Minister Pralhad Joshi unveils List of Critical Minerals for India ↗ “Disclosing that 30 critical minerals have been identified in the report released today, the Minister stated”
- PIB (Ministry of Mines), Measures Initiated to Attain Self-reliance in Critical Minerals ↗ “Critical and deep-seated minerals such as Cobalt, Lithium, Nickel, Gold, Silver, and Copper are difficult to explore and mine as compared to surfacial or bulk minerals. The country is mostly dependent on imports of these minerals.”
- PIB (Ministry of Mines), Parliament Passes Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 ↗ “Another major amendment passed by the Parliament is to empower the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for certain critical minerals”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·