UPSC Prelims 2025 · GS Paper I
Question 6: Economy and Social Development
Consider the following statements :
- IIndia has joined the Minerals Security Partnership as a member.
- IIIndia is a resource-rich country in all the 30 critical minerals that it has identified.
- IIIThe Parliament in 2023 has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 empowering the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite license for certain critical minerals.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
AnswerThe answer is (c).
India joined the US-led Minerals Security Partnership in 2023, so statement I is correct. Statement II is wrong: India has identified 30 critical minerals but is heavily import-dependent for many of them, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, and lacks reserves in several. Statement III is correct: the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023 lets the Central Government exclusively auction mining leases and composite licences for specified critical and strategic minerals. Remember: India is a member of the MSP but not self-sufficient.
- I. India joined the Minerals Security Partnership in 2023.
- II. India imports many critical minerals and is not resource-rich in all 30.
- III. The 2023 MMDR amendment gave the Centre exclusive power to auction specified critical mineral blocks.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement II is not correct, (a), (b) and (d) go: each of them includes II.
What you needed to know: India imports many critical minerals and is not resource-rich in all 30.
The red flag in statement II is “all”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “all” were true 41% of the time (76 statements). A hint, not a rule.
Only (c) is left. You didn’t need statements 1 or 3.
This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: II claims India is rich in all 30 minerals, which is untrue.
- (b) Wrong: II is false, so II and III together cannot be right.
- (c) Right: I and III are correct; II overstates India's resource base.
- (d) Wrong: II is false, so not all three hold.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2025, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.