Centre identified 30 critical minerals

Recently, the Centre has identified ‘30 critical minerals’, which are essential for the country’s economic development and national security.

Key-highlights:

• The identification of these minerals was done on the basis of a report on critical minerals prepared by an expert team constituted by the Ministry of Mines.
• In November 2022, the Ministry of Mines had constituted a seven-member Committee to identify a list of minerals critical to our country and the panel decided to have a ‘three-stage assessment’ to arrive at a list of critical minerals.
• Using this process, a total of 30 minerals were found to be most critical for India, out of which two are critical as fertiliser minerals:
  • Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.
    
  • Ten minerals on the list are 100 per cent import-dependent. These are lithium cobalt, nickel, vanadium, niobium, germanium, rhenium, beryllium, tantalum, and strontium.
    
    
• Adding to this proposed plan, Centre will periodically update the list of critical minerals for India and notify the critical mineral strategy from time to time and will execute a range of functions for the development of an effective value chain of critical minerals in the country.
• Need of such a move:
  • India’s international commitments towards reducing carbon emissions, which require the country to urgently relook at its mineral requirements for energy transition and net-zero commitments.
  • Critical Minerals forms part of multiple strategic value chains, including clean technologies initiatives such as zero-emission vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels; information and communication technologies, including semiconductors; and advanced manufacturing inputs and materials such as defence applications, permanent magnets, and ceramics.

What are Critical Minerals?

• Critical minerals are elements that are the building blocks of essential modern-day technologies, and are at risk of supply chain disruptions.
• These minerals are now used everywhere from making mobile phones, computers to batteries, electric vehicles and green technologies like solar panels and wind turbines.
• Based on their individual needs and strategic considerations, different countries create their own lists.

• The identification of critical minerals will help the country to plan for the acquisition and preservation of such mineral assets taking into account the long term need of the country.
• Also it will make to reduce the import dependency as India is 100% import dependent for certain elements.

India’s exploration Update: 

• The Geological Survey of India, an attached office of Ministry of Mines, has carried out a G3 stage mineral exploration (fairly advanced) in Salal-Haimna areas of Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir, and estimated an inferred resource of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore.
• Lithium reserves were also discovered on Revant hill in Degana in Rajasthan's Nagaur district by the GSI. It is believed that these reserves can meet 80% of the country's demand.