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Topic Critical minerals
Asked 2 times across 2 UPSC exams, peaking in 2026.
Key insights
- Most tested in CSE — 1 of 2 PYQs
- Most asked in 2026
- Recurs across 1 years (2026–2026)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CSE 2026 → NDA 2026
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (2 of 2) are since 2016.
Related concepts
Ideas UPSC tests alongside this one — keep exploring.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
CSE2026
Which of the following statements about Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Critical Minerals is/are correct?
- Modern technological innovations including Artificial Intelligence, robotics and space exploration extensively utilise Rare Earth Elements (REEs)
- China has the highest share in mining of REEs followed by India
- 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
- Rare Earth Elements are a set of 13 metallic elements
- A 1 and 3 only ✓
- B 3 only
- C 1, 3 and 4
- D 1, 2 and 4
✓ Correct answer: (A)
Economy › Industry/Infra/MSME
NDA2026
Consider the following critical minerals
- Neodymium
- Tellurium
- Dysprosium
- Gallium
Which of the above minerals are not used for the production of photovoltaic cells used in solar panels?
- A I and IV
- B II and III
- C I and III ✓
- D II and IV
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Geography › Indian Economic Geography
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