Which of the following statements about Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Critical Minerals is/are correct? 1. Modern technological…

Question

Which of the following statements about Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Critical Minerals is/are correct?

1. Modern technological innovations including Artificial Intelligence, robotics and space exploration extensively utilise Rare Earth Elements (REEs).

2. China has the highest share in mining of REEs followed by India.

3. The Government of India launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in 2025 to establish a robust framework for self-reliance in the critical mineral sector.

4. Rare Earth Elements are a set of 13 metallic elements.

1. A. 1 and 3 only (Correct answer)
2. B. 3 only
3. C. 1, 3 and 4
4. D. 1, 2 and 4

Correct Answer

Option A — A

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Option A.

Key Points

• Statement 1 is correct: REEs are essential to modern technology — AI hardware, robotics, EVs, wind turbines, defence and space applications all rely on rare-earth magnets and phosphors.
• Statement 3 is correct: India launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in January 2025 (outlay ~Rs 34,300 crore, 2024-25 to 2030-31) to build self-reliance across exploration, mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: China is the largest miner of REEs, followed by the United States — not India. India holds sizeable reserves but has a small share of global mining output.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: rare earth elements are a set of 17 metallic elements (the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium) — not 13.
• China dominates both mining and, even more, processing/separation of REEs, which is the real strategic chokepoint the NCMM aims to reduce dependence on.

Exam Tip

• two hard numbers anchor this question — REEs = 17 elements, and China #1, USA #2 in mining.
• Both planted errors (13, and India as #2) turn on them.