India Steps Up Exploration, Mining and Value Addition of Rare-Earth Minerals

• Rare Earth Elements (REEs) = 17 elements (15 lanthanides + Sc + Y) critical for permanent magnets, EVs, defence, electronics, and clean-energy tech.
• India holds the world's 3rd largest rare earth resources but remains heavily import-dependent (esp. on China) for refined REEs and magnets.
• Topic intersects GS-III (economy, internal security, science) and GS-II (international relations) — relevant for strategic autonomy in critical minerals.