UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s Rare Earth Strategy: Manufacturing, Corridors, and Global Integration

Question 1

The Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM), notified in December 2025, is implemented by which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

Ministry of Heavy Industries

Answer

Ministry of Mines

Answer

Department of Atomic Energy

Answer

Ministry of Science and Technology

Question 2

As announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, a 'Dedicated Rare Earth Corridor' is best described as which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

An integrated zone spanning mining, processing, R&D and rare earth magnet manufacturing

Answer

An offshore block reserved exclusively for deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining

Answer

A special economic zone dedicated to exporting unprocessed monazite sands

Answer

A strategic reserve for stockpiling imported rare earth permanent magnets

Question 3

In the joint venture Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL), which one of the following public sector enterprises holds the largest equity share?

Accepted Answer

National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO)

Answer

Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL)

Answer

Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL)

Answer

National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC)

Question 4

Which of the following are correctly identified as constituent equity partners of Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL)?

Accepted Answer

1, 2 and 3

Answer

1, 2 and 4

Answer

2, 3 and 4

Answer

1, 3 and 4

Question 5

The coordination of rare earth mining and the Dedicated Rare Earth Corridors, with the Geological Survey of India as its attached office for resource mapping, falls under which one of the following ministries?

Accepted Answer

Ministry of Mines

Answer

Ministry of Heavy Industries

Answer

Department of Atomic Energy

Answer

Ministry of Earth Sciences

Question 6

In the institutional division of India's rare earth strategy, the Ministry of Heavy Industries is specifically responsible for which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

The incentive scheme for rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) manufacturing

Answer

Resource mapping of rare earth ore through the Geological Survey of India

Answer

Acquisition of overseas critical mineral assets

Answer

Monazite-based rare earth extraction and refining

Question 7

The integrated facilities to be set up under India's REPM scheme are specified to manufacture magnets of which one of the following chemistries?

Accepted Answer

Sintered Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB)

Answer

Samarium-Cobalt (SmCo)

Answer

Aluminium-Nickel-Cobalt (Alnico)

Answer

Strontium ferrite (ceramic)

Question 8

According to the PIB backgrounder on India's rare earth strategy, India's 13.15 million tonnes of monazite are estimated to contain approximately how many million tonnes of rare-earth oxides (REO)?

Accepted Answer

7.23 million tonnes

Answer

13.15 million tonnes

Answer

482.6 million tonnes

Answer

3.69 million tonnes

UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s Rare Earth Strategy: Manufacturing, Corridors, and Global Integration

Q1. The Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM), notified in December 2025, is implemented by which one of the following?

Q2. As announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, a 'Dedicated Rare Earth Corridor' is best described as which one of the following?

Q3. In the joint venture Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL), which one of the following public sector enterprises holds the largest equity share?

Q4. Which of the following are correctly identified as constituent equity partners of Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL)?

Q5. The coordination of rare earth mining and the Dedicated Rare Earth Corridors, with the Geological Survey of India as its attached office for resource mapping, falls under which one of the following ministries?

Q6. In the institutional division of India's rare earth strategy, the Ministry of Heavy Industries is specifically responsible for which one of the following?

Q7. The integrated facilities to be set up under India's REPM scheme are specified to manufacture magnets of which one of the following chemistries?

Q8. According to the PIB backgrounder on India's rare earth strategy, India's 13.15 million tonnes of monazite are estimated to contain approximately how many million tonnes of rare-earth oxides (REO)?