MINERALS SECURITY PARTNERSHIP (MSP)
The partnership includes major economies and resource-rich nations, typically led by countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan, among others. These nations collaborate to identify and develop alternative sources of critical minerals and secure reliable supply chains.
Importance of Critical Minerals:
Critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and graphite are vital for:
- Clean Energy Transition: Supporting technologies like wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries.
- Defense and Aerospace: Enabling advanced weaponry, satellites, and aviation systems.
- Technological Advancements: Powering semiconductors, smartphones, and electric vehicles
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In June 2023, India became part of the MSP, a US-led alliance of 14 countries focused on fostering public and private investments to enhance global supply chains for critical minerals. A joint statement released by India and the US on June 23, 2023, highlighted their shared commitment to ensuring adequate supplies of essential critical minerals for their respective markets. It also emphasized accelerating bilateral efforts to establish resilient supply chains, marking India's formal entry into the partnership.
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The MSP member countries include Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, represented by the European Commission.
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The partnership focuses on minerals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium, and the 17 rare earth elements. Its objective is to create an alternative to China's dominance in rare earth processing and its acquisition of cobalt mines in Africa.
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Current collaborative efforts within the MSP involve establishing a forum for expertise sharing, building a robust battery material supply chain, and working on the development of a minerals processing facility in South America.
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The MSP gained further momentum with the creation of the MSFN in September, which comes amid a growing reliance on countries like China for critical resources, particularly rare earth minerals.
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As part of the new partnership, member nations acknowledged that addressing the rising global demand for critical minerals to facilitate the clean energy transition requires collective efforts beyond the capacity of any single institution. Public and private sectors within member countries must collaborate to mobilize investments in both new and existing markets in this field.
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Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US Undersecretary of State Jose W. Fernandez remarked, “The energy transition is at risk. We need increased production capacity for critical minerals, as many supply chains are concentrated in one or two countries and lack resilience.”
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The 17 rare earth elements (REEs) comprise the 15 Lanthanides (atomic numbers 57 to 71, starting with Lanthanum) along with Scandium (atomic number 21) and Yttrium (atomic number 39). These elements are categorized into two groups: light rare earth elements (LREEs) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs).
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REEs, though used in small amounts, are critical components in over 200 consumer products, such as mobile phones, computer hard drives, electric and hybrid vehicles, semiconductors, flat-screen TVs, monitors, and advanced electronics. India has been a late entrant in the lithium value chain, coinciding with projections of a significant transformation in the electric vehicle (EV) sector.
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India has some REEs, including Lanthanum, Cerium, Neodymium, Praseodymium, and Samarium. However, heavy rare earth elements like Dysprosium, Terbium, and Europium are not present in extractable quantities within Indian deposits. As a result, India depends on imports from countries like China, which dominates the global REE market with an estimated 70% share of global production
Critical minerals are essential for the manufacturing of advanced technologies, including renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and high-end electronics. These minerals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements, play a vital role in supporting India's transition to a low-carbon economy and enhancing its industrial and technological capabilities.
India's Import Reliance
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Dependence on Key Suppliers:
India heavily depends on imports for critical minerals, with China being a dominant supplier, especially for rare earth elements (REEs). China's extensive processing infrastructure and global mining investments make it a critical player in this sector. -
Limited Domestic Availability:
While India possesses some rare earth elements like lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, and praseodymium, others, particularly heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium and terbium, are either unavailable or found in non-extractable quantities within the country. -
Strategic Vulnerability:
Over-reliance on imports exposes India to supply chain disruptions, geopolitical risks, and market volatility, threatening its clean energy and technological goals
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For Prelims: Critical minerals, Ministry of Mines, carbon emissions, cleaner energy, lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, tin, copper, Selenium, Cadmium, Centre of Excellence on critical minerals, Australia's CSIRO, Geological Survey of India,
For Mains:
1. What are critical minerals? Discuss their significance for a country's economic development and national security. Explain how the identification of critical minerals helps in reducing import dependency and ensuring resource security. (250 Words)
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Previous Year Questions
1. With reference to the mineral resources of India, consider the following pairs: (UPSC 2010)
Mineral 90%Natural sources in
1. Copper Jharkhand
2. Nickel Orissa
3. Tungsten Kerala
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
A. 1 and 2 only B. 2 only C. 1 and 3 only D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
2. Recently, there has been a concern over the short supply of a group of elements called 'rare earth metals.' Why? (UPSC 2012)
1. China, which is the largest producer of these elements, has imposed some restrictions on their export.
2. Other than China, Australia, Canada and Chile, these elements are not found in any country. 3. Rare earth metals are essential for the manufacture of various kinds of electronic items and there is a growing demand for these elements.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only B. 2 and 3 only C. 1 and 3 only D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: C
3. In India, what is the role of the Coal Controller's Organization (CCO)? (UPSC 2022)
1. CCO is the major source of Coal Statistics in Government of India.
2. It monitors progress of development of Captive Coal/Lignite blocks.
3. It hears any objection to the Government's notification relating to acquisition of coal-bearing areas.
4. It ensures that coal mining companies deliver the coal to end users in the prescribed time. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1, 2 and 3 B. 3 and 4 only C. 1 and 2 only D. 1, 2 and 4
Answer: A
4. Which of the following statements best describes the term 'Social Cost of Carbon'? It is a measure, in monetary value, of the (UPSC 2020)
A. long-term damage done by a tonne of CO2 emission in a given year.
B. requirement of fossil fuels for a country to provide goods and services to its citizens, based on the burning of those fuels.
C. efforts put in by a climate refugee to adapt to live in a new place.
D. contribution of an individual person to the carbon footprint on the planet Earth.
Answer: A
5. Direction: It consists of two statements, one labelled as ‘Statement (I)’ and the others as ‘Statement (II)’. You are to examine these two statements carefully and select the answer using the codes given below: (UPSC ESE 2018)
Statement (I): Green energy refers to one which does not harm the ecosystem of planet earth. Statement (II): All renewable energy is green energy.
A. Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) individually true and Statement (II) is the correct explanation of Statement (I)
B. Both statement (I) and Statement (II) are individually true, but Statement (II) is not the correct explanation of Statement (I)
C. Statement (I) is true, but Statement (II) is false
D. Statement (I) is false, but Statement (II) is true
Answer: C
6. Which type of battery is used in the recently launched world's first fully electric cargo ship by change? (Delhi Police Constable 2017)
A. Lead Acid B. Manganese C. Lithium ion D. Nickel metal hydride
Answer: C
7. White gold is an alloy of (UPSC CAPF 2022)
A. gold, nickel and palladium
B. gold, cobalt and palladium
C. gold, titanium and platinum
D. gold, magnesium and palladium
Answer: A
8. Graphene is frequently in news recently. What is its importance? (UPSC 2012)
1. It is a two-dimensional material and has good electrical conductivity.
2. It is one of the thinnest but strongest materials tested so far.
3. It is entirely made of silicon and has high optical transparency.
4. It can be used as 'conducting electrodes' required for touch screens, LCDs and organic LEDs. Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only B. 3 and 4 only C. 1, 2 and 4 only D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: C
9. Graphite and diamonds are__________. (WBCS Prelims 2020)
A. isotopes B. isomers C. isotones D. allotropes
Answer: D
10. Consider the following statements: (UPSC 2020)
1. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead and mercury.
2. Coal-fired power plants release sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen into the environment. 3. High ash content is observed in Indian coal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only B. 2 and 3 only C. 3 only D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
11. Which of the following can be found as pollutants in the drinking water in some parts of India? (UPSC 2013)
1. Arsenic
2. Sorbitol
3. Fluoride
4. Formaldehyde
5. Uranium
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
A. 1 and 3 only B. 2, 4 and 5 only C. 1, 3 and 5 only D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: C
12. In the context of solving pollution problems, what is/are the advantage/advantages of the bioremediation technique? (UPSC 2017)
1. It is a technique for cleaning up pollution by enhancing the same biodegradation process that occurs in nature.
2. Any contaminant with heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can be readily and completely treated by bioremediation using microorganisms.
3. Genetic engineering can be used to create microorganisms specifically designed for bioremediation.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1 only B. 2 and 3 only C. 1 and 3 only D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: C
13. Due to improper/indiscriminate disposal of old and used computers or their parts, which of the following are released into the environment as e-waste? (UPSC 2013)
1. Beryllium
2. Cadmium
3. Chromium
4. Heptachlor
5. Mercury
6. Lead
7. Plutonium
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
A. 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only B. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 only
C. 2, 4, 5 and 7 only D. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
Answer: B
14. When was the Geological Survey of India (GSI) of India founded? (UPRVUNL Staff Nurse 2021)
A. 1851 B. 1951 C. 1871 D. 1931
Answer: A
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