UPSC Previous Year Question | Prelims GS | 2025

Consider the following statements: I. India has joined the Minerals Security Partnership as a member. II. India has itself identified all 30 critical minerals as resource-rich. III. Parliament in 2023 amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 empowering the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite (prospecting-cum-mining) licence for certain critical minerals. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. I and II only
  2. II and III only
  3. I and III only
  4. I, II and III

Answer

Correct Answer

I and III only

Explanation

India joined the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) in 2023, and Parliament amended the MMDR Act, 1957 in 2023 to empower the Centre to exclusively auction mining leases and composite licences for certain critical/atomic minerals, making I and III correct. India is not resource-rich in all 30 identified critical minerals; it has significant deficits in several of them, so II is incorrect.

Topics: critical minerals, economy, mmdr act