India and US Sign Critical Minerals and Rare Earths Cooperation Pact
On the sidelines of the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, India and the United States signed a Critical Minerals and Rare Earths cooperation pact. The agreement strengthens bilateral supply chains for minerals essential to clean energy, electronics and defence. It comes amid global efforts to reduce dependence on China's dominance in rare earth processing and supports India's 'Make in India' and US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) objectives.
Key Facts & Details
8 points- 1India-US sign Critical Minerals and Rare Earths cooperation pact
- 2Supports clean energy, electronics, defence supply chains
- 3Reduces dependence on China for processing of rare earths
Deep Dive
- +Rare Earths are 17 elements: 15 lanthanides plus Scandium and Yttrium
- +Used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, missile guidance
- +India has the world's 5th largest rare-earth reserves (estimated 6.9 million tonnes)
- +Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) is the main domestic producer
- +iCET (initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) is the parent India-US framework
Exam Focus
Likely MCQ: How many elements are classified as 'Rare Earths'? → Answer: 17 (15 lanthanides + Scandium + Yttrium)
Related Topics
Exam Relevance & Angle
India-US strategic ties, rare earths and Make in India repeatedly feature in UPSC, Banking and SSC exams.
Target Exams
Background & Context
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metallic elements — the 15 lanthanides of the periodic table, plus Scandium (Sc) and Yttrium (Y). Despite the name, they are not actually rare in the Earth's crust, but are seldom found in concentrated, economically extractable deposits.
REEs are essential for:
• Permanent magnets (used in EV motors, wind turbines)
• Smartphones, MRI machines, laser systems
• Defence equipment — missile guidance, jet engines
India has the world's 5th largest rare-earth reserves, estimated at about 6.9 million tonnes. The main producer is Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL), a CPSE under the Department of Atomic Energy.
The India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) — launched in January 2023 — is the overarching framework under which this pact sits. iCET also covers AI, quantum, semiconductors, biotech and space.
Related GK Concepts
Must KnowTest Yourself
1 / 3How many elements are classified as Rare Earth Elements (REEs)?
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