Critical minerals

In the news

• Quad foreign ministers meet in Atlanta, pledge over $85 million for trusted AI access 1 November 2026 · The Hindu

  AI, chips, critical minerals and shipping lanes: is the Quad now more an economic security club than a maritime one?

• Critical minerals stockpiling policy likely within a month, says Mines Secretary 10 October 2026 · Indian Express

  Why does India want a strategic reserve of lithium, cobalt and rare earths, much like its oil reserve?

• The missing measure in India's rare-earth magnet mission 21 September 2026 · The Hindu

  Every EV motor and wind turbine needs these magnets. China makes almost all of them.

Key facts

• The Quad foreign ministers met in Atlanta on 31 October 2026, on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting; it was their third meeting of 2026, after New Delhi (May) and Manila (July). (1 November 2026)
• The Quad intends to provide over USD 85 million of technical and financial assistance to widen access to trusted AI in the Indo-Pacific. (1 November 2026)
• Mines Secretary Keshav Chandra said on 9 October 2026 that a critical minerals stockpiling policy is likely within a month, with release protocols on quantities and eligible recipients. (10 October 2026)
• The National Critical Mineral Mission, approved on 29 January 2025, has an outlay of ₹34,300 crore over seven years (₹16,300 crore government, ₹18,000 crore from PSUs and others). (10 October 2026)
• Rare-earth permanent magnets (mainly neodymium-iron-boron) are used in EV motors, wind turbines, electronics and defence systems. (21 September 2026)
• China dominates rare-earth processing and magnet production and restricted exports of some rare-earth materials in 2025. (21 September 2026)

Previous-year questions

1. 2026 · GS2 · 10 marks "IPMDA (Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness) bridges the gap between India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision and the Quad's collective Indo-Pacific strategy." Make a critical…
2. 2024 · GS2 · 10 marks 'The West is fostering India as an alternative to reduce dependence on China's supply chain and as a strategic ally to counter China's political and economic dominance.' Explain this statement with examples.
3. 2021 · GS1 · 10 marks Despite India being one of the countries of the Gondwanaland, its mining industry contributes much less to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in percentage. Discuss.
4. 2020 · GS2 · 15 marks 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)' is transforming itself into a trade bloc from a military alliance, in present times. Discuss.
5. 2025 · Prelims 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…
6. 2022 · Prelims With reference to India, consider the following statements: 1. Monazite is a source of rare earths. 2. Monazite contains thorium. 3. Monazite occurs naturally in the entire Indian coastal sands in India. 4. In India…