Rare earth permanent magnet scheme
Topic: Mineral Resources of India: Distribution and Conservation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The rare earth permanent magnet scheme is a government plan to make rare-earth magnets in India. Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metals. Permanent magnets made from them are very strong and are used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics and defence. The scheme was approved in November 2025 with about ₹7,280 crore to build integrated sintered-magnet plants. "Sintered" means the magnet is made by pressing and heating metal powder. "Integrated" means each plant handles all the steps, from rare-earth material to finished magnet (verify current).
Example
India has about 6% of the world's rare earth reserves, much of it in the monazite of the Kerala, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts, but it does little processing. China dominates refining and magnet-making and curbed magnet exports in 2025, and this scheme is India's response.
Don't confuse with
- National Critical Mineral Mission: this is a broader 2025 mission covering exploration, recycling and buying mineral assets abroad for many minerals. The magnet scheme is only about making magnets.