UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Jaishankar, Rubio welcome trade deal, discuss critical minerals, Quad cooperation

Q1. Which one of the following countries hosted the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting held in February 2026, at which India participated at the ministerial level?

  • A. Japan
  • B. Australia
  • C. United States of America
  • D. India

Q2. Which one of the following is the nodal Union ministry for the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) launched in 2025?

  • A. Ministry of Coal
  • B. Ministry of Mines
  • C. Ministry of Earth Sciences
  • D. Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Q3. Under the National Critical Mineral Mission, how many critical mineral exploration projects has the Geological Survey of India been tasked with undertaking during the period 2024-25 to 2030-31?

  • A. 300
  • B. 600
  • C. 1,200
  • D. 2,400

Q4. With reference to the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework (2026) and the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), consider the following statements: 1. The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework has only four member-states, whereas the Minerals Security Partnership has more than ten member-economies. 2. India is a founding member of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework, while it joined the Minerals Security Partnership only in 2023, two years after the latter's formation. 3. The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework was announced at a Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Washington, DC. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework has only four member-states, whereas the Minerals Security Partnership has more than ten member-economies.
  2. India is a founding member of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework, while it joined the Minerals Security Partnership only in 2023, two years after the latter's formation.
  3. The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework was announced at a Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Washington, DC.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. In the context of India–U.S. critical-minerals cooperation in 2026, the term 'FORGE' (Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement) refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A WTO-administered dispute-settlement mechanism for trade in rare-earth elements
  • B. A United Nations-led inter-governmental panel on resource governance for clean-energy minerals
  • C. A US-led platform launched at the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial to create a preferential trade-and-investment zone for critical minerals among allied nations
  • D. A bilateral India–US clean-energy partnership for joint financing of lithium and cobalt mining under the IPEF clean-economy pillar