Possible UPSC Prelims / Mains Questions
- Prelims: With reference to the “Quad Critical Minerals Initiative (QCMI)” recently launched in Washington DC, consider the following statements:
- It aims to diversify global supply chains of lithium, cobalt and rare-earth elements.
- India will host the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field exercise under the Initiative.
- QCMI membership is open to all ASEAN countries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Mains GS-II (International Relations): “Critical-mineral security has become a new pillar of the Indo-Pacific strategy.” Analyse this statement in the light of the 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting outcomes and India’s National Critical Minerals Mission.
Quick Outline of Key Facts
| Item | Details |
| Venue & Date | 2nd Quad FMs’ Meeting, Washington DC, 1 July 2025 |
| Participants | India (EAM S. Jaishankar), USA (Secy. of State Marco Rubio), Australia (FM Penny Wong), Japan (FM Takeshi Iwaya) |
| Key Security Stand | Condemned Pahalgam terror attack; called for speedy justice & global cooperation under international law |
| New Launches | • Quad Critical Minerals Initiative (QCMI)
• Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network – first field training exercise in 2025 • Quad Ports of the Future Partnership – to be inaugurated in Mumbai |
| Four Focus Areas of Quad 2.0 | 1. Maritime & trans-national security
2. Economic prosperity & resilient supply-chains 3. Critical & emerging technology 4. Humanitarian assistance & disaster response (HADR) |
| Rationale for QCMI | Counter supply-chain coercion & over-dependence on single-country processing (China) for critical minerals |
| Global Mineral Concentration | China: 66 % of critical-mineral processing; >90 % in rare-earths; major share in Li-Ni-Co refining |
| India-specific Moves | • National Critical Minerals Mission (Rs 16,300 cr, Jan 2025)
• Critical-mineral list (30 items) incl. Li, Co, Ni, graphite • Membership of Minerals Security Partnership & MSF Network (2023) |
| Upcoming Quad Calendar | FMs’ Meet 2025 – USA host
Quad Leaders’ Summit 2025 – India host |
Summary
The second Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) — comprising India, the United States, Australia and Japan — convened in Washington DC on 1 July 2025. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya jointly issued a 10-point statement that broadened the grouping’s agenda from traditional maritime security to economic resilience, critical technologies and humanitarian cooperation.
Security Dimension: Condemning the recent Pahalgam terrorist outrage, the Ministers demanded that its “perpetrators, organisers and financiers” be brought to justice expeditiously, invoking UN counter-terror mechanisms. They reaffirmed commitment to a “free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific” and announced the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field exercise in 2025 to deepen interoperability among their navies.
Economic & Supply-Chain Resilience: The core takeaway was the launch of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative (QCMI). Noting the “abrupt constriction and future reliability” risks in global supply of lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare-earth elements, the four partners highlighted the dangers of “non-market policies and practices” and over-concentration of processing capacities which presently see China commanding about two-thirds of global critical-mineral refining and over 90 % in rare-earths. The QCMI seeks to:
- map and diversify mining, processing and recycling nodes;
- promote transparent investment and technology-sharing;
- insulate industries such as electric vehicles, semiconductors and renewable-energy storage from coercive disruptions.
Complementing QCMI, the Ministers unveiled the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, with its inaugural project slated for Mumbai, to digitise port logistics and green maritime infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific.
Indian Context: For New Delhi the initiative dovetails with its National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) launched in January 2025 (₹16,300 crore) aiming at self-reliance through accelerated exploration, fast-track approvals and overseas acquisition of mineral assets. India’s recent entry into the US-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) and the Minerals Security Finance Network provides additional multilateral platforms to secure supplies essential for its 500 GW non-fossil power target by 2030.
Future Path: The United States will host the 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, while India will convene the next Quad Leaders’ Summit later the same year, signalling continuity of the grouping’s agenda despite wider geopolitical flux. By embedding mineral-supply-chain security within its broader Indo-Pacific framework, the Quad has sought to translate strategic convergence into tangible economic cooperation that supports energy transition, advanced manufacturing and regional stability.
Significance to the UPSC Exam
- GS-II (IR): Illustrates evolving geometry of minilateral groupings, economic security linkages, India’s balancing of strategic partnerships.
- GS-III (Economy/Environment): Relates to resource security, critical-mineral policy, energy transition targets and Make-in-India manufacturing ambitions.
- Essay / Ethics: Raises themes of sustainable development, global value-chain resilience, responsible resource extraction and technology sharing.
- Prelims: Facts on Quad membership, critical-mineral statistics, Indian missions (NCMM, MSP), upcoming Quad events.
Understanding QCMI and India’s domestic critical-mineral push is thus essential for comprehending the nexus between foreign policy and economic strategy in contemporary UPSC preparation.
