UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Ministry of Heavy Industries invites bids through Global Tender for selection of beneficiaries to set up integrated Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnet manufacturing facilities of 6,000 MTPA capacity under the Scheme to...

Q1. Which Union ministry is the nodal ministry that operationalises the 'Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets' and has invited bids through the global tender?

  • A. Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • B. Ministry of Mines
  • C. Ministry of Steel
  • D. Department of Atomic Energy

Q2. Counting from the date of award, what is the total duration (in years) of the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets, including the gestation period?

  • A. 5 years
  • B. 7 years
  • C. 10 years
  • D. 12 years

Q3. Among the following commercialised permanent-magnet types, which one has the highest energy density [(BH)max] and is the variety targeted under India's REPM manufacturing scheme?

  • A. Sintered Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB)
  • B. Samarium-Cobalt (SmCo)
  • C. Alnico (Aluminium-Nickel-Cobalt)
  • D. Ferrite (ceramic) magnet

Q4. The principal hard-magnetic phase that gives a sintered NdFeB permanent magnet its strength corresponds to which chemical formula?

  • A. Nd2Fe14B
  • B. NdFe2B
  • C. Nd5Fe2B6
  • D. SmCo5

Q5. Under the REPM scheme, what does selection of beneficiaries through the 'Least Cost System (LCS)' precisely mean?

  • A. Technically qualified bids are first short-listed, and among them the bidders quoting the lowest cost are selected
  • B. The bidder offering the highest technical score is selected irrespective of the price quoted
  • C. A fixed budget is announced and the bidder offering the best technical proposal within it is chosen
  • D. All qualified bidders are selected by a transparent lottery to ensure equal opportunity

Q6. The online two-stage bidding for selecting REPM beneficiaries is conducted through which platform?

  • A. Central Public Procurement (CPP) Portal
  • B. Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
  • C. Public Financial Management System (PFMS)
  • D. Indian Bank Association's e-auction portal

Q7. With reference to the IREL-linked raw-material support under the REPM scheme, consider the following statements: 1. IREL (India) Ltd. will provide assured supply of NdPr oxide to selected beneficiaries. 2. This assured raw-material concession is reserved for the three lowest bidders (L1–L3). 3. IREL (India) Ltd. is a public sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy. 4. IREL extracts its rare earths primarily from lithium-brine deposits. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. IREL (India) Ltd. will provide assured supply of NdPr oxide to selected beneficiaries.
  2. This assured raw-material concession is reserved for the three lowest bidders (L1–L3).
  3. IREL (India) Ltd. is a public sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy.
  4. IREL extracts its rare earths primarily from lithium-brine deposits.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q8. The 'NdPr oxide' that IREL (India) Ltd. is to supply to the lowest bidders refers to a mixed oxide of which two elements?

  • A. Neodymium and Praseodymium
  • B. Nickel and Praseodymium
  • C. Niobium and Protactinium
  • D. Neodymium and Platinum

Q9. In the context of China's 2025 export controls on rare earths, the term 'heavy rare earth elements' most precisely refers to which group?

  • A. The higher-atomic-number lanthanides together with yttrium, such as dysprosium and terbium
  • B. The lighter lanthanides such as lanthanum and cerium
  • C. The radioactive actinides such as thorium and uranium
  • D. Transition metals such as cobalt and nickel

Q10. With reference to the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), consider the following statements: 1. It has a total outlay of about ₹34,300 crore over seven years. 2. Rare Earth Elements (REE) are among the critical minerals identified for India. 3. The Geological Survey of India is the principal agency tasked with exploration under the Mission. 4. The Mission is administered by the Ministry of Heavy Industries. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It has a total outlay of about ₹34,300 crore over seven years.
  2. Rare Earth Elements (REE) are among the critical minerals identified for India.
  3. The Geological Survey of India is the principal agency tasked with exploration under the Mission.
  4. The Mission is administered by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q11. Which agency is principally tasked with the mineral exploration that has augmented India's rare-earth (REE) ore resources, including the projects feeding the country's critical-minerals strategy?

  • A. Geological Survey of India (GSI)
  • B. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
  • C. Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd. (MECL)
  • D. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)