“CRITICAL MINERLAS”

20 Jul “CRITICAL MINERLAS”

“CRITICAL MINERLAS”

Context: Mines Ministry to Organize Mineral Exploration Hackathon and Critical Mineral Roadshow in Hyderabad.

Syllabus mapping: GS-1, Geography: Mineral Resources distribution in India. GS-2, Governance: DMF.

What are critical Minerals: Critical minerals are those minerals that are essential for economic development and national security. The Mines and Minerals Act 1957, as amended in 2023, mentioned the list of critical minerals. The government of India, not the state government, have the power to declare any minerals as critical minerals.

List of Critical Minerals: Government has released a list of 30 critical minerals for India.  These minerals are 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.

Importance of Critical Minerals:

• The fueling the economic growth: Critical minerals are the foundation on which modern technology is built. From solar panels to semiconductors, wind turbines to advanced batteries for storage and transportation, the world needs critical minerals to build these products.
• National Security: The dependency of India on countries like China for critical minerals makes India vulnerable and compromise its national security. So, exploration and identification of critical minerals are very important.
• Make India and make for India: These critical minerals are essential for the advancement of many sectors, including high-tech electronics, telecommunications, transport, and defense.
• “Net zero” commitment: They are also vital to power the global transition to a low-emission economy, and the renewable energy technologies that will be required to meet the ‘Net Zero’ commitments of an increasing number of countries around the world.
• Diversification of supply chain and reducing import dependency: The evolving geo-political situation presents an opportunity for India to benefit from the diversification of global supply chains.

Issues with Critical Minerals in India:

• Dependency on imports: India heavily depends on imports for many critical minerals, such as cobalt, lithium, rare earth elements (REEs), and others essential for high-tech industries like electronics, electric vehicles (EVs), and renewable energy technologies.
• Limited domestic reserves: While India has some reserves of certain critical minerals, they often fall short of domestic demand. For instance, India has limited reserves of lithium, which is crucial for EV batteries and renewable energy storage solutions. Developing these reserves sustainably and economically remains a challenge.
• Environmental issues: Extracting and processing critical minerals can have significant environmental impacts, including habitat destruction, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Balancing the need for these minerals with environmental sustainability is crucial but challenging, especially given India’s environmental and land use regulations.
• Technological and infrastructural challenges: Extracting and processing certain critical minerals requires advanced technologies and infrastructure, which may not be readily available or developed in India. This can hinder domestic production and increase dependency on imports.
• Supply chain vulnerability: The global supply chains for critical minerals are complex and can be disrupted by geopolitical tensions, trade policies, or natural disasters. India’s reliance on these global supply chains adds another layer of vulnerability.

 

Government of India’s Initiatives:

• Exploration of Critical Minerals by the Geological Survey of India. Lithium reserves found in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The clear publication of Critical minerals
• Amendment to Mines and Minerals Act 1957 to add Critical minerals in it.
• The Mineral Exploration Policy 2019, also focuses on critical minerals.
• Transparent auction Policy. As per the Apex Court direction the auctions done by online mode.

Conclusion:

The ensuring uninterrupted supplies of critical minerals through enhanced domestic mineral exploration and extraction, along with assured sources elsewhere. Particular attention should be given to deep-seated minerals. In addition, the import risks of critical minerals may be reduced by developing resilient supply chains, signing trade agreements, and acquiring mining assets abroad.

 

 

 

 

“District Mineral Foundations (DMF)”

District Mineral Foundations (DMF) is a trust, setup as non-profit body in all mine affected district, to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining related operations.

Funding: It is funded through the contribution from miners.

Legal Status: Statutory body. The DMF derive their legal status from section 9B of mines and minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2015.

Objectives:

The objective of District Mineral Foundation is to work for the interest of the benefit of the persons and areas affected mining related operations in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Government.

The Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) will be implemented by the DMF’s of the respective districts using the funds accruing to the DMF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prelims question:

1. Consider the following information:

Name of Mineral	Type	Name of Ore.
Titanium	Major mineral	Azurite
Cobalt	Critical Mineral	Ilmenite
Sand	Minor mineral	Smaltite
Lead	Major mineral	Galena

 

In how many the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

 

• Only one
• Only two
• Only Three
• All Four.

 

 

Answer: a.

 

1. Consider the Following Minerals:
2. Sodium
3. Phosphorus
4. Silicon
5. Cadmium
6. Lead

 

 

 

 

In India, how many of the above are officially designated as Critical Minerals?

 

• Only two
• Only three
• Only four
• All Five.

 

 

Answer: a.

 

1. With reference to the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), consider the following statements:
2. The DMFs should be established by the district collector.
3. The DMFs is funded by the contributions from the minors.
4. The sprit for the DMF is based on the article 244 of the constitution of India.

How many of the above given statements are correct?

 

• Only one
• Only two
• All Three

 

Answer: b.

 

Source: 19 JUL 2024, PIB Delhi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Governor”

Context: The SC to Examine Article 361 Granting Immunity to Governors. The Supreme Court agreed to examine the contours of Article 361 of the Constitution which grants blanket immunity to governors from any kind of criminal prosecution. The top court’s order came on a plea of former woman employee of West Bengal Raj Bhavan of who has alleged molestation by Governor C V Ananda Bose.

 

Syllabus Mapping:

Mains: GS-2: Executive at state level and issues with federalism.

Prelims: Indian Polity and important national current events.

 

Basics: Article 361: Protection of President and Governors and Rajpramukhs

• The President, or the Governor or Rajpramukhs of a State, shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise and performance of the powers and duties of hi/she office or for any act done or purporting to be done by him/her in the exercise and performance of those powers and duties.
• No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President, or the Governor of a State, in any court during his/ her term of office.
• No process for the arrest or imprisonment of the President, or the Governor of a State, shall issue from any court during his/her term of office.
• No civil proceedings in which relief is claimed against the President, or the Governor of a State, shall be instituted during his/her term of office in any court in respect of any act done or purporting to be done by hi m in his/her personal capacity, whether before or after he entered upon his/her office as President, or as Governor of such State, until the expiration of two months next after notice in writing has been delivered to the President or the Governor, as the case may be, or left at his/her office stating the nature of the proceedings, the cause of action therefor, the name, description and place of residence of the party by whom such proceedings are to be instituted and the relief which he claims.

Other Important Legal provisions related to the Governor:

• Article 156 that states that the governor shall hold office during the pleasure of the President.
• Article 161 that gives the governor the power to grant pardons, reprieves, etc.;
• Article 163 that gives the governor discretionary powers of appointment of a chief minister when no party has a clear majority in the state legislature, powers in times of no-confidence motions and powers in case of the failure of constitutional machinery in the state
• Article 200 that gives the governor the power to give assent, withhold assent, or reserve the bill for the consideration of the President passed by the Legislative Assembly
• Article 356 that gives powers to the governor to dismiss the assembly in case of the failure of constitutional machinery in the State

Issues related with the office of Governor:

1. An Agent of Centre: The many commissions highlighted that the Governor mostly act as agent of Union government.
2. The governors’ overreach: The Punchhi commission (2010), acceded the governors overreach in many matters. Recently the governor of Kerala role in the appointment of university Vice Chancellors without aid and advice of Council of Ministers.
3. Partisanship: It has been found that the governors act more on the party lines than impartial roles as head of the state. Example the Panjab governors refused to sign some bills despite passed by the State Assembly.
4. Misuse of constitutional loopholes: The article 200 and 164 gives certain autonomy to the Governor. However, this autonomy has been misused over the period of time. For example, the Governor of Tamil Nadu initially withhold the assent to the bills and then reserved that bill for the president’s consideration.
5. Lack of Constitutional morality: The Principle of constitutional morality has been violated by the governors since the beginning.
6. Other major issues: Present controversies have been around the issues of selecting the chief minister, determining the timing for proving legislative majority, demanding information about day-to-day administration, taking apparently long time in giving assent to bills or reserving bills for the President, commenting adversely on specific policies of the state government and exercising powers of the governor as the chancellor of state universities.

Way Forward and recommendations:

• Punchhi Commission of 2010, have recommended certain reforms to ensure that the Governor does not act under political affiliations and functions objectively.
• There have been recommendations to ensure the selection of a Governor through a collegium, fix a tenure and lay down provisions to impeach a Governor by the assembly.
• Maintaining Sanctity of the Office: Punchhi and Sarkaria Commissions had recommended that the Governors should not be burdened with the positions and powers which were beyond their constitutional domain. For example, chancellor of state universities.
• The aid and advice of the council of minister is binding in certain cases on the Governor underlined by the Supreme Court in its judgment in State of Rajasthan and others case (2021).
• The upholding the constitutional mandate: The top court said that the indefinite withholding of Bills lets the governor, an unelected Head of the State, veto the functioning of the duly elected legislature in contravention of constitutional democratic principles.

Good Example of Governors: The integrity of Surjit Singh Barnala, who had served as Governor of Tamil Nadu for about nine months in 1990-91. Barnala refused to send a report to the Centre recommending imposition of President’s Rule in the State under Article 356(1) of the Constitution, as dictated by the Centre. When the Centre persisted on its agenda and transferred him to Bihar as a punitive measure, Barnala resigned. It was this sense of independence and self-esteem coupled with strict adherence to constitutional obligations made him an exceptional Governor.

Conclusion:

While valid criticisms regarding the potential overreach of gubernatorial powers deserve attention, it is crucial to appreciate the intricate and significant role governors play in upholding the constitutional fabric. Beyond knee-jerk reactions and political rhetoric advocating for the abolition of the governor’s position, we must acknowledge the complexity of the governor’s duty to ensure legislative alignment with the constitution’s spirit.

Prelims Questions:

Q.1. Consider the Following Statements:

 

1. Both the US and Indian governors serve as the executive heads of their respective states or union territories.
2. US governors are directly accountable to the electorate, whereas Indian governors are accountable primarily to the central government.
3. The Governors in the USA, unlike Indian Governors, also serve as the commander-in-chief of their state’s National Guard forces.

 

How many of the above given statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All Three

(d) None.

 

Answer: c.

 

Q.2: Under the Article 164 for of the constitution, as amended, in which of the following states, the Governor mandatory appoint tribal affairs minister?

1. Chhattisgarh
2. Odisha
3. Arunachal Pradesh
4. Nagaland

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

• 1 and 4
• 2 and 3
• 1 and 2
• 3 and 4

Answer: c.