Content

• NGT clears ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island mega project
• Separate classification and Census enumeration for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs)
• Supreme Court to re-examine legality of ex post facto environmental clearances
• SC refuses stay on RTI amendments linked to DPDP Act; to examine privacy–transparency balance
• GEAPP launches India Grids of the Future Accelerator for power grid modernisation
• Agro-biodiversity lessons from bird diversity changes in Pusa, Bihar
• Africa’s strategic minerals and global supply-chain realignments

---

NGT clears ₹92,000-cr. Great Nicobar project

---

Source :The Hindu

s a

A. Issue in Brief

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) disposed of challenges to the 2022 Environmental Clearance (EC) for the ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project, citing strategic importance and finding “no good ground to interfere”, while directing strict compliance with EC conditions.
• The project includes a transshipment port, international airport, power plant, and township on Great Nicobar Island; concerns raised include coral reefs, leatherback turtle nesting, and siting near ecologically sensitive zones.

Relevance

GS 2 (Polity & Governance)

• Environmental governance, role of NGT, Centre–State–judiciary interface, transparency vs national security.

GS 3 (Environment, Infrastructure, Security)

• EIA regime, biodiversity conservation, coastal regulation, strategic infrastructure, maritime security (SAGAR, Indo-Pacific).

B. What the NGT Held ?

• Relied on the findings of a High-Powered Committee (HPC) earlier constituted to examine coral reefs, turtle nesting sites, and protected zones; found no error in the Terms of Reference and no additional substantial issues.
• Accepted the Union government’s position that the HPC report contains strategic/defence-sensitive information; limited disclosure was considered justified.
• Emphasised a “balanced approach”—permit development at a strategic location while ensuring compliance with the Island Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019 (ICRZ).
• Directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to ensure coral protection/regeneration and to prepare an implementation plan; placed responsibility on MoEFCC to avoid shoreline erosion.

C. Constitutional / Legal Dimension

• Article 48A & 51A(g): State and citizen duties to protect the environment.
• EIA Notification, 2006: Norm of three-season baseline data; deviation justified by the government on geomorphological grounds (no high-erosion sites).
• Forest clearance issues related to the project are under judicial scrutiny before the Calcutta High Court—illustrating multi-forum environmental adjudication.
• ICRZ 2019 provides the regulatory framework for coastal/island development with safeguards for fragile ecosystems.

D. Environmental Dimension

• Biodiversity hotspots: Great Nicobar hosts tropical rainforests, coral reefs, mangroves, and endemic fauna; nearby habitats support leatherback turtles (critically endangered).
• Risks include habitat fragmentation, dredging impacts, turbidity affecting corals, and shoreline morphology changes.
• Proposed mitigation: coral transplantation/regeneration, controlled construction windows, and erosion management—effectiveness depends on scientific design and monitoring.

E. Governance / Administrative Dimension

• Strategic rationale: Location near major East-West shipping lanes enhances maritime logistics, SAGAR vision, and Indo-Pacific presence.
• Capacity challenge: Ensuring credible MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) for EC compliance over long project timelines.
• Transparency vs security dilemma: Limited disclosure can protect national interests but may weaken public trust and participatory governance.

F. Economic / Security Dimension

• Aims to position India as a regional transshipment hub, potentially reducing dependence on foreign ports and improving trade competitiveness.
• Infrastructure build-out could catalyse island connectivity, tourism, and employment, but requires cost–benefit realism given ecological externalities.
• Dual-use value (civil + defence logistics) strengthens the national security case.

G. Social / Ethical Dimension

• Concerns of local communities and indigenous groups regarding displacement, cultural impacts, and livelihood transitions.
• Ethical balance between national development and ecological stewardship; principle of inter-generational equity applies strongly in island ecosystems.

H. Key Criticisms / Gaps

• Baseline data adequacy (single-season EIA) contested by applicants; seasonality matters for marine ecology.
• Cumulative impact assessment across port, airport, township, and power plant may be under-specified.
• Carrying capacity of a small island system and disaster risks (cyclones, tsunamis) require robust modelling.

I. Way Forward

• Establish independent scientific oversight panels for coral/turtle safeguards with public summaries (non-sensitive).
• Deploy real-time environmental monitoring (turbidity, reef health indices, shoreline change mapping via satellites).
• Phase construction with adaptive management triggers—pause/modify if ecological thresholds are crossed.
• Strengthen community consultation, benefit-sharing, and grievance redress.
• Integrate disaster-resilient design and strict waste/water management for island sustainability.

J. Exam Orientation

Prelims Pointers

• NGT is a statutory body (NGT Act, 2010) for expeditious environmental justice.
• ICRZ 2019 governs coastal/island development norms.
• EIA 2006 typically requires multi-season data; exceptions may be argued case-specifically.
• Leatherback turtle: among the largest sea turtles; globally threatened.

Practice Question (15 marks)

• “Strategic infrastructure in ecologically fragile regions requires a calibrated balance between national security and environmental sustainability.” Discuss with reference to the Great Nicobar project.

---

A separate classification for denotified tribes

---

Source :The Hindu

A. Issue in Brief

• The Union government has indicated that DNTs may be enumerated in the 2027 Census, but no clarity exists on methodology, prompting demands for a separate Census column for DNTs.
• DNT groups argue that without a distinct count and certification, their historical stigma, socio-economic deprivation, and policy invisibility will persist.
• Multiple commissions have reiterated that accurate identification and classification of DNTs is impossible without a dedicated Census count.

Relevance

GS 1 (Society)

• Vulnerable communities, social exclusion, nomadic lifestyles, historical stigma.

GS 2 (Polity & Governance)

• Census policy, affirmative action, 14/15/46, welfare targeting, role of commissions.

B. Who are DNTs ? 

• DNTs are communities once notified as “criminal tribes” under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, which enabled registration, surveillance, and movement restrictions based on colonial stereotypes.
• The Act was repealed in 1952, leading to “denotification,” but several States introduced Habitual Offenders laws, continuing police scrutiny under a new label.
• Colonial logic tied “criminality” to caste and heredity, embedding deep social stigma that outlived formal repeal.

C. Enumeration History

• “Criminal tribes” were explicitly enumerated in 1911 and 1931 Censuses; 1931 was the last Census with such data.
• Post-Independence, India moved away from caste enumeration (except SC/ST), and no dedicated DNT count was undertaken thereafter.
• The Idate Commission on DNTs (2017) identified ~1,200 DNT communities, noting most are placed within SC/ST/OBC lists, and ~268 communities remain unclassified.
• An Anthropological Survey of India study (for NITI Aayog) recommended classifications for the 268 groups, but the report remains unimplemented.

D. Current Policy Status

• Many DNTs are included in SC/ST/OBC lists as “Vimukt Jatis,” enabling partial access to reservations.
• A dedicated welfare push exists via the SEED Scheme for DNTs (livelihood, education, housing, health) with a ₹200 crore outlay, but utilisation has been low.
• A major bottleneck is the non-issuance of DNT certificates across most States; only select districts in a few States issue them.

E. Constitutional / Legal Dimension

• Article 14 & 15: Equality and affirmative action for socially and educationally backward classes.
• Article 46: Directive to promote educational and economic interests of weaker sections.
• Debate: Whether DNTs need a separate constitutional category or better targeting within SC/ST/OBC frameworks.

F. Social Justice Dimension

• Persistent stigma and police profiling linked to historical criminalisation.
• High levels of landlessness, mobility, low literacy, and poor access to welfare among many nomadic groups.
• Internal diversity: Some communities relatively advanced; others remain extremely marginalised, raising need for sub-classification.

G. Governance / Administrative Issues

• Lack of a uniform national list and definitions for DNTs complicates targeting.
• Overlap with SC/ST/OBC lists creates data ambiguity and duplication risks.
• Census design challenge: capturing mobile/nomadic populations without double counting or exclusion.

H. Key Debates

• Separate Census column vs integration within existing caste categories.
• Separate constitutional classification vs sub-classification within OBC/SC/ST.
• Balancing recognition of historical injustice with administrative feasibility.

I. Way Forward

• Conduct a time-bound national identification and enumeration exercise with clear definitions for DNT, NT, and SNT.
• Standardise and digitise DNT certification with Centre–State coordination.
• Improve SEED implementation via portable entitlements for mobile populations.
• Consider targeted sub-classification to address uneven backwardness.
• Invest in education, housing, and livelihood support tailored to nomadic lifestyles.

J. Exam Orientation

Prelims Pointers

• Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 labelled certain communities as hereditary criminals; repealed in 1952.
• Many DNTs are today placed in SC/ST/OBC categories, but not all are classified.
• 1931 Census was the last to enumerate such communities.

Practice Question (15 Marks)

• “Historical stigma and data invisibility continue to shape the marginalisation of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes in India.” Discuss the need and challenges of their separate enumeration in the Census.

---

SC to take a fresh look at pleas on ex post facto eco clearance regime

---

Source :The Hindu

A. Issue in Brief

• The Supreme Court of India has agreed to re-examine the legality of the “ex post facto” environmental clearance (EC) regime, i.e., granting EC after a project has already begun construction or operations.
• A three-judge Bench noted possible overlooking of earlier precedents and referred the matter to a larger Bench, signalling constitutional and environmental significance.
• The case arises from challenges to government actions that allowed retrospective regularisation of projects lacking prior EC.

Relevance

GS 2 (Polity & Judiciary)

• Judicial review, constitutional environmentalism, role of SC.

GS 3 (Environment)

• Precautionary principle, EIA framework, sustainable development.

B. What is Ex Post Facto EC?

• Ex post facto EC = environmental approval granted after project commencement, instead of prior clearance mandated under the EIA Notification, 2006.
• It effectively legalises violations, allowing projects to continue with penalties or additional safeguards.
• Critics argue it converts a preventive regime into a post-damage regulatory system.

C. Constitutional / Legal Dimension

• Article 21: Right to life includes the right to a clean and healthy environment (SC jurisprudence).
• Precautionary Principle & Polluter Pays Principle are part of Indian environmental law (Vellore Citizens case).
• Earlier SC rulings (e.g., Common Cause v. Union of India) held ex post facto EC contrary to environmental jurisprudence, except in rare cases.
• Key legal question: Can administrative notifications dilute statutory environmental safeguards?

D. Governance Dimension

• Prior EC ensures impact assessment, public consultation, and mitigation planning before irreversible damage.
• Allowing post-facto approvals weakens regulatory credibility and deterrence.
• Raises concerns of moral hazard, where violators may proceed expecting later regularisation.

E. Environmental Dimension

• Environmental damage (deforestation, pollution, biodiversity loss) is often irreversible or costly to restore.
• Post-facto clearances defeat the purpose of anticipatory environmental governance.
• Undermines India’s commitments under SDGs (12, 13, 15) and climate goals.

F. Economic Dimension

• Industry argues ex post facto EC avoids project shutdowns, sunk costs, and job losses.
• However, regulatory dilution may create long-term uncertainty and harm ESG credibility of Indian markets.
• Strong environmental rule of law improves investor confidence in the long run.

G. Ethical Dimension 

• Conflict between developmental pragmatism vs environmental justice.
• Fairness issue: Law-abiding firms incur compliance costs while violators may be regularised.
• Inter-generational equity: future generations bear ecological costs of present violations.

H. Key Concerns / Criticisms

• Normalising violations weakens rule of law.
• Reduces incentive for timely compliance.
• Public participation becomes redundant if decisions are post-facto.
• Potential for regulatory capture.

I. Way Forward

• Reaffirm prior EC as the norm; allow post-facto approvals only in exceptional, well-defined circumstances.
• Strengthen monitoring, digital compliance tracking, and penalties.
• Fast-track EC processes to reduce delays that push firms toward violations.
• Enhance capacity of State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs).
• Link violations to financial disincentives and restoration liabilities.

J. Exam Orientation

Prelims Pointers

• EIA Notification 2006 mandates prior environmental clearance for listed projects.
• Precautionary Principle: Act to prevent harm even without full scientific certainty.
• Polluter Pays Principle: Polluter bears cost of remediation.

Practice Question (15 Marks)

• “Ex post facto environmental clearances undermine the preventive nature of environmental governance.” Critically examine in the context of India’s regulatory framework.

---

SC refuses stay on RTI amendments linked to DPDP Act

---

Source : Indian Express

A. Issue in Brief

• The Supreme Court of India refused to stay amendments affecting the RTI framework made through the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and DPDP Rules, but agreed to examine the balance between privacy and transparency.
• Petitioners argue that changes to the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) dilute access to information by expanding the scope of “personal information” exemptions.
• The Court flagged the matter as involving competing fundamental rights requiring a constitutional balancing exercise.

Relevance

GS 2 (Polity & Governance)

• Fundamental rights balance (Art 19 vs 21), RTI regime, data governance.

GS 3 (Cyber & Data Governance)

• Digital data protection, information governance ecosystem.

B. What Changed? 

• Amendment to Section 8(1)(j) of RTI Act: strengthens protection of “personal information,” limiting disclosure unless legally justified.
• Petitioners claim this creates a blanket-style restriction, weakening the earlier public interest override.
• Concern: Authorities may deny information citing privacy even in cases involving corruption, public office accountability, or misuse of public funds.

C. Constitutional Dimension

• Article 19(1)(a): RTI flows from freedom of speech and expression (right to know).
• Article 21: Right to privacy recognised as fundamental in Puttaswamy (2017).
• Core question: How to balance RTI (transparency) vs Privacy (data protection) when both are fundamental rights ?
• SC jurisprudence requires proportionality and necessity tests in such conflicts.

D. Governance Dimension

• RTI is a key pillar of accountable and participatory governance; dilution may reduce scrutiny over public authorities.
• Data protection law aims to build trust in the digital ecosystem and prevent misuse of personal data.
• Administrative challenge: PIOs (Public Information Officers) must now interpret data protection + RTI together, raising compliance complexity.

E. Democratic / Institutional Impact

• RTI has historically exposed corruption, ghost beneficiaries, and policy lapses.
• Over-broad privacy exemptions risk creating a “culture of secrecy”.
• At the same time, unchecked disclosure can violate informational privacy and dignity.

F. Ethical Dimension

• Ethical tension between transparency in public life vs protection of individual dignity.
• Principle of minimum necessary disclosure: reveal what serves public interest, protect what is purely private.
• Fairness issue: Public officials’ actions in official capacity warrant higher transparency threshold.

G. Key Concerns / Criticisms

• Possible over-classification of information as personal.
• Chilling effect on RTI activism and investigative journalism.
• Lack of clear operational guidelines for balancing tests.
• Risk of inconsistent decisions across authorities.

H. Way Forward

• Issue clear harmonisation guidelines clarifying when public interest overrides privacy.
• Define “personal information” narrowly for public officials in official roles.
• Capacity-building of PIOs on data protection–RTI interface.
• Develop a structured proportionality test checklist for disclosure decisions.
• Periodic parliamentary/judicial review to ensure RTI’s core is not eroded.

I. Exam Orientation

Prelims Pointers

• RTI derives from Article 19(1)(a).
• Right to Privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21 (Puttaswamy).
• Section 8 of RTI Act lists exemptions from disclosure.
• DPDP Act 2023 governs processing of digital personal data.

Practice Question (15 Marks)

• “Data protection and transparency are both essential in a democracy but may conflict in practice.” Discuss how India should balance the Right to Information with the Right to Privacy.

---

GEAPP announces $25 million funding for India’s power grid modernisation

---

Source : Down to Earth

A. Issue in Brief

• The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) launched the India Grids of the Future Accelerator (2026) to strengthen digital, financial, and institutional capacity of power distribution for large-scale renewable and storage integration.
• GEAPP committed up to $25 million by 2028, with a goal to unlock $100 million by 2030 through blended finance, aligning with Viksit Bharat 2047 and India’s clean energy transition.
• Supported by the All India DISCOM Association and the International Solar Alliance, with initial “champion utilities” in Delhi and Rajasthan.

Relevance

GS 2 (Governance)

• Public–private partnerships, energy governance, institutional reforms.

GS 3 (Economy, Energy, Environment, S&T)

• Energy transition, grid modernisation, renewables integration, storage, smart grids.

B. What the Initiative Targets ?

• Focus on modernising power distribution (DISCOMs)—the weakest link in India’s power value chain.
• Addresses rising demand from electrification, EVs, urbanisation, and industry while integrating variable renewables.
• Moves from pilot projects to platform-based systemic reform.

C. Core Design – “D4 Framework”

• Digitalisation: digital twins, smart meters, advanced analytics for demand forecasting and loss reduction.
• Distributed Energy Resources (DERs): rooftop solar, storage, microgrids integrated into the main grid.
• Democratisation: consumer participation as “prosumers,” demand response, time-of-day pricing.
• Development of innovation ecosystem: startups, storage tech (including non-lithium), grid software.

D. Economic Dimension 

• India targets 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030; grid readiness is a binding constraint.
• Modern grids reduce AT&C losses, improve billing efficiency, and enhance DISCOM viability.
• Blended finance lowers risk for private capital in grid upgrades.
• Reliable grids underpin manufacturing growth, data centres, and digital economy.

E. Environmental / Climate Dimension

• Grid flexibility is essential for integrating solar and wind, which are intermittent.
• Enables faster coal displacement and supports India’s net-zero 2070 pathway.
• Storage + smart grids reduce renewable curtailment and emissions intensity.

F. Governance / Institutional Dimension

• Public–private–philanthropic partnership model complements government schemes like RDSS.
• Strengthens institutional capacity of DISCOMs in planning and data-driven decisions.
• Multi-stakeholder coordination needed between Centre, States, regulators, and utilities.

G. Social Dimension

• Aims to impact ~300 million people by 2030 via reliable and quality supply.
• Better grids improve service for rural and peri-urban consumers and enable decentralised clean energy access.

H. Challenges / Risks

• DISCOM financial stress and tariff politics can limit reforms.
• Cybersecurity risks with deep digitalisation.
• Regulatory lag in enabling peer-to-peer power trading and storage markets.
• Uneven State capacity and reform appetite.

I. Way Forward

• Align accelerator efforts with Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and smart metering rollouts.
• Strengthen independent regulation and cost-reflective tariffs with targeted subsidies.
• Invest in grid-scale and distributed energy storage ecosystems.
• Develop cybersecurity standards for smart grids.
• Encourage time-of-day tariffs and demand response markets.

J. Exam Orientation

Prelims Pointers

• International Solar Alliance: India–France led, focuses on solar deployment globally.
• DISCOMs handle last-mile electricity distribution and are key to power sector health.
• DERs include rooftop solar, storage, EVs, microgrids.
• Blended finance mixes public, private, and philanthropic funds.

Practice Question (15 Marks)

• “India’s clean energy transition is as much about grid reform as generation capacity.” Discuss in the context of initiatives like the India Grids of the Future Accelerator.

---

Agro-biodiversity & Birds of Pusa – Lessons for Sustainable Agriculture 

---

Source : Down to Earth

A. Issue in Brief

• Pusa, Bihar—a historic hub of Indian agricultural research—offers a rare century-scale comparison of bird diversity, linking colonial-era ornithology with present-day agro-ecology.
• Comparing C.W. Mason’s early 20th-century records with 2021–22 surveys shows major shifts in avian communities, with implications for natural pest control, crop resilience, and sustainable farming.
• The case demonstrates how heritage data + modern digital tools can guide agro-biodiversity conservation and climate-resilient agriculture.

Relevance

GS 1 (Geography & Society)

• Human–environment interaction, rural ecological landscapes.

GS 3 (Agriculture & Environment)

• Agro-ecology, IPM, biodiversity conservation, climate-resilient farming.

B. Historical Scientific Baseline

• In The Food of Birds in India, C.W. Mason analysed stomach contents of 1,325 birds across 110 species around Pusa to understand crop impacts.
• ~⅔ of 55,000 recorded food items were insects, including key pests (weevils, grasshoppers, rice hispa), evidencing birds’ role in biological pest regulation.
• Functional groups documented: insectivores (drongos, swifts), omnivores (mynas), graminivores (starlings), and predators (shrikes)—forming a natural pest-control web.

C. Present-Day Scenario (2021–22)

• Surveys documented ~50 species; only ~30.9% of historically recorded species persist, indicating substantial biodiversity loss.
• ~69% decline in earlier species (notably scavengers like vultures) linked to habitat loss, toxic veterinary drugs, and landscape change.
• Of current species, ~68% are long-term survivors (e.g., Black Drongo, Green Bee-eater, White Wagtail) due to ecological adaptability; ~32% are new colonisers, reflecting community shifts.
• Declines in insectivores and raptors weaken natural pest control; crop intensification and climate-driven phenology shifts reduce food availability and alter migration.

D. Environmental & Ecological Dimension

• Birds are ecosystem service providers: pest control, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling.
• Loss of insectivores can increase pesticide dependence, creating negative feedback loops for biodiversity and soil–water health.
• Agro-biodiversity supports climate resilience, buffering farms against pest outbreaks and variability.

E. Agriculture & Economy Dimension

• Integrating birds into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) can reduce input costs and chemical residues.
• On-farm measures—perches, hedgerows, native fruit trees, refuge patches—improve yields via ecological regulation.
• Biodiversity-friendly farming aligns with natural/organic farming missions and export-oriented residue standards.

F. Science & Tech Dimension

• Digitising legacy data and linking with eBird checklists enables long-term biodiversity trend analysis.
• AI-based bioacoustics can match bird calls to databases, improving monitoring accuracy and citizen-science participation.
• Longitudinal datasets support evidence-based agro-ecological planning.

G. Governance & Policy Dimension

• Aligns with National Biodiversity Action Plan, agro-ecology promotion, and sustainable agriculture policies.
• Opportunity to integrate biodiversity metrics into agricultural extension and Krishi Vigyan Kendra advisories.
• Landscape-level planning needed to reconcile productivity with conservation.

H. Social / Ethical Dimension

• Ethical stewardship of agro-ecosystems reflects inter-generational responsibility.
• Reviving traditional ecological knowledge strengthens community participation in conservation.

I. Way Forward

• Create intentional farm habitats (butterfly gardens, bird refuges, mixed cropping) to restore functional diversity.
• Institutionalise long-term ecological monitoring in agricultural research stations.
• Promote reduced pesticide regimes and IPM to protect insectivores.
• Build living biodiversity databases combining historical and citizen-science data.
• Incentivise biodiversity-friendly farming through eco-labelling and market premiums.

J. Exam Orientation

Prelims Pointers

• Birds provide key ecosystem services in agriculture, especially pest control.
• IPM (Integrated Pest Management) emphasises biological and cultural controls over chemicals.
• Citizen-science platforms like eBird aid biodiversity monitoring.

Practice Question (15 Marks)

• “Agro-biodiversity is central to sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture.” Discuss using evidence from long-term ecological observations like those from Pusa, Bihar.

---

Africa’s Strategic Minerals & Global Supply Chains 

---

Source : Down to Earth

A. Issue in Brief

• A new report by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Compendium of Africa’s Strategic Minerals (2026), argues that geopolitical tensions and supply-chain fragmentation are raising the strategic value of Africa’s minerals.
• Africa holds ~$29.5 trillion in mine-site mineral wealth (~20% of global total) but captures limited downstream value, largely exporting raw ores and importing finished goods.
• The report calls for a shift from raw-material exporter → selective processor at strategic chokepoints, backed by infrastructure and regional integration.

Relevance

GS 2 (IR)

• Resource geopolitics, Global South, China+1 strategy, minerals diplomacy.

GS 3 (Economy & Security)

• Critical minerals, supply-chain resilience, industrial policy, energy transition.

B. Core Argument of the Report

• Africa’s constraint is “conversion, not geology”—i.e., weak infrastructure, limited processing, and fragmented markets prevent value capture.
• Global concentration risk is high:
  • China controls ~90% of rare earth & manganese processing and dominates battery-grade graphite.
  • Advanced economies seek supplier diversification for critical minerals.
• Africa’s non-aligned geopolitics + mineral diversity provide leverage if used strategically means focusing on high-impact supply chain nodes, not full-spectrum industrialisation.

C. Economic Dimension

• Value addition potential is massive:
  • $2.8T iron ore → ~$25.4T steel
  • $874B bauxite → $5.2T alumina → $15.4T aluminium
• Current model = low-value exports + high-value imports, leading to:
  • Forex leakage
  • Limited job creation
  • Commodity-dependence risks
• Mineral beneficiation can support industrialisation, manufacturing, and export diversification.

D. Infrastructure & Development Dimension

• Processing viability depends on power, rail, ports, and industrial clusters—often missing or unreliable.
• Three conditions rarely co-locate:
  • Mineral resource
  • Infrastructure
  • Market demand
• Infrastructure is thus a development multiplier, not just a sectoral input.

E. Geopolitical / IR Dimension

• Critical minerals are now tied to national security and techno-industrial competition.
• Africa can gain bargaining power in a world seeking China+1 supply chains.
• Strategic positioning allows Africa to avoid overdependence on any one bloc.
• Minerals diplomacy is becoming central to Global South geopolitics.

F. Regional Integration

• National markets often too small for scale processing.
• Report stresses regional aggregation of demand under frameworks like AfCFTA.
• Success cases:
  • Morocco (phosphates)
  • Copperbelt (copper)
  • North Africa (steel)
• Regional value chains improve economies of scale and investment attractiveness.

G. Gold as a Macro-Stabiliser

• Africa holds >$5T in gold resources but underutilises it for reserves.
• Gold can:
  • Strengthen forex buffers
  • Stabilise currencies
  • Reduce dollar dependence
• GoldBod (Ghana) cited as institutional reform to formalise mining and build reserves (>$10B reserves, currency appreciation).

H. Governance Challenges

• Fragmented and outdated geological data systems deter investors.
• Policy inconsistency and regulatory uncertainty raise risk.
• Risk of “resource curse” if governance and transparency are weak.

I. Broader Development Linkages

• Minerals needed not just for energy transition but also for:
  • Urbanisation
  • Construction
  • Fertilisers
  • Vehicles
  • Power infrastructure
• Thus minerals strategy must align with domestic development priorities, not only exports.

J. Way Forward

• Treat geological data as strategic infrastructure.
• Invest in reliable power and transport corridors.
• Promote selective beneficiation at chokepoints.
• Use AfCFTA to build regional mineral value chains.
• Strengthen governance to avoid resource-curse dynamics.
• Leverage gold for macro-financial stability.

K. Exam Orientation

Prelims Pointers

• Critical minerals are linked to energy transition, defence, and electronics.
• Supply-chain concentration creates geopolitical risk.
• Beneficiation = value addition through processing.

Practice Question (15 Marks)

• “Control over critical mineral supply chains is emerging as a key determinant of geopolitical and economic power.” Discuss with reference to Africa’s mineral potential and global supply-chain realignments.