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 ✓ UPSC's answer
- (d) I, II and III
Why the answer is (c)
• Statement I is correct: India joined the US-led Minerals Security Partnership in June 2023, a grouping of 14 countries and the EU that seeks to secure supply chains for critical minerals.
• Statement III is correct: the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023 inserted Part D of the First Schedule listing 24 critical and strategic minerals and empowered the Central Government to exclusively auction their mining leases and composite licences.
• Statement II is wrong: India's 2023 list identifies 30 critical minerals precisely because the country is import-dependent for most of them — lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths in particular; it is not resource-rich in all 30.
• The National Critical Mineral Mission (2025) follows from this dependence.
• Hence I and III only, option (c).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) I and II only
- Statement II is wrong: India is import-dependent for most of its 30 critical minerals.
- (b) II and III only
- Statement II is wrong, while statement I on the MSP is correct.
- (d) I, II and III
- Statement II is wrong, so all three cannot be correct.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.