National Critical Mineral Mission priorities

One line

The Rashtriya Khanij Chintan Shivir focused on exploration, processing, recycling, and resilient supply chains under the National Critical Mineral Mission.

Summary

Critical minerals support batteries, electronics, renewable energy, defence, and advanced manufacturing. Security depends on geology, processing technology, trade partnerships, recycling, and environmental governance.

PYQ pattern

UPSC links critical minerals with clean energy, strategic autonomy, mining impacts, and circular economy. See the official UPSC question-paper archive.

Core notes

Centre-state discussions covered exploration, auctions, domestic processing, and value addition.
Recovery from mine waste, tailings, and discarded products can supplement primary mining.
Criticality changes with technology, import concentration, substitutability, and demand.

Prelims lens

A critical mineral need not be geologically rare.
Processing can be more concentrated globally than mining.
Tailings are residues left after mineral processing.

MCQ 1

A mineral may be called critical mainly because of:

A. Economic importance and supply risk
B. Colour alone
C. Use only in jewellery
D. Constitutional status

Reveal answer

A

Criticality reflects strategic or economic importance combined with vulnerability of supply.

MCQ 2

Recovering minerals from tailings is an example of:

A. Secondary-resource recovery
B. Monetary tightening
C. Crop rotation
D. Coastal erosion

Reveal answer

A

Tailings can retain useful minerals that newer technologies may recover.

Mains

Question, 10 marks, 150 words: Outline a mineral-security strategy that balances strategic supply with environmental safeguards.

Approach:

Map demand, domestic resources, processing, and imports.
Discuss exploration, partnerships, recycling, and substitution.
Examine ecological damage, waste, land rights, and price cycles.
Suggest transparent auctions, local consent, research, and strategic stockpiles.