UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Critical minerals, the foundation of strategic power

Q1. Under the National Critical Mineral Mission, how many exploration projects is the Geological Survey of India targeted to carry out over the entire mission period from 2024-25 to 2030-31?

  • A. 195 exploration projects
  • B. 368 exploration projects
  • C. 1,200 exploration projects
  • D. 2,400 exploration projects

Q2. Which single component constitutes the largest share of the total outlay approved by the Union Cabinet for the National Critical Mineral Mission?

  • A. Expected investment by public sector undertakings and other stakeholders
  • B. Direct expenditure by the Government of India through the Ministry of Mines
  • C. Incentive Scheme for Recycling of critical minerals from secondary sources
  • D. Support for establishing mineral processing parks and Centres of Excellence

Q3. With reference to the list of critical minerals for India finalised on the recommendation of the Ministry of Mines committee constituted in 2022, consider the following minerals: 1. Cadmium 2. Chromium 3. Selenium 4. Manganese Which of the above is/are correctly identified as minerals included in that list?

  1. Cadmium
  2. Chromium
  3. Selenium
  4. Manganese
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q4. Of the 30 minerals identified as critical for India on the recommendation of the 2022 Ministry of Mines committee, how many stand included in the list of critical and strategic minerals in Part D of Schedule I of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957?

  • A. 12
  • B. 17
  • C. 24
  • D. 29

Q5. In April 2025, China extended export restrictions to how many of the 17 recognised rare earth elements?

  • A. Five
  • B. Seven
  • C. Twelve
  • D. Fifteen

Q6. Which one of the following best describes the scope of the rare-earth-related export control announcements made by China in October 2025?

  • A. They cap the annual tonnage of rare earth ore that may be mined and exported, leaving processed magnets and downstream products entirely outside the control regime
  • B. They cover processing technologies, specialised equipment and intellectual property besides the elements themselves, and require approval even for foreign-made magnets containing trace China-sourced material
  • C. They apply only to shipments destined for countries that have imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, with exports to all other destinations continuing under existing general licences
  • D. They levy a graded export duty on rare earth oxides and magnets, calibrated to the buyer's end-use, without introducing any licensing or prior-approval requirement

Q7. The average share of global refining of key critical minerals held collectively by the top three refining countries reached approximately what level in 2024?

  • A. 76 per cent
  • B. 82 per cent
  • C. 86 per cent
  • D. 92 per cent

Q8. The assessment that China retains a refining presence in all 19 critical minerals analysed, even as global diversification efforts continue, was published by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. The World Economic Forum
  • B. The World Trade Organization
  • C. The United Nations Environment Programme
  • D. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Q9. Under the Rare Earth Permanent Magnets Manufacturing Scheme approved in November 2025, over how many years are the sales-linked incentives to be disbursed once the initial setup period is over?

  • A. Two years
  • B. Three years
  • C. Five years
  • D. Seven years

Q10. Consider the following statements comparing the different mineral sets that figure in India's critical minerals policy: 1. India's notified list of critical minerals contains 30 minerals, of which 24 are placed in Part D of Schedule I of the MMDR Act as critical and strategic minerals. 2. The Seventh Schedule, which specifies the minerals for which an exploration licence may be granted, contains 29 minerals and includes lithium, cobalt, nickel, potash and tin. 3. Of the 17 recognised rare earth elements, China brought seven under export control in October 2025 and a further five in April 2025. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. India's notified list of critical minerals contains 30 minerals, of which 24 are placed in Part D of Schedule I of the MMDR Act as critical and strategic minerals.
  2. The Seventh Schedule, which specifies the minerals for which an exploration licence may be granted, contains 29 minerals and includes lithium, cobalt, nickel, potash and tin.
  3. Of the 17 recognised rare earth elements, China brought seven under export control in October 2025 and a further five in April 2025.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. Which one of the following statements about Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) is correct?

  • A. It was set up in August 2019 by the Ministry of Mines as a joint venture with equity from three central public sector enterprises
  • B. It is a statutory corporation constituted under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, with sole authority over all overseas mineral acquisition by India
  • C. It functions under the Ministry of External Affairs and is mandated exclusively to acquire lithium assets, all other critical minerals being outside its remit
  • D. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Geological Survey of India, and every overseas exploration agreement necessarily requires prior Cabinet clearance