Question: On 28 July 2021; the Union government announced in the Parliament exploration of which of the following metal will be done by the Geological Survey of India (GSI)?
a) Lithium
b) Magnesium
c) Aluminium
d) None of these
Answer: (a)
Related Facts:-
- On 28 July 2021; the Union government announced the Parliament that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has taken up seven projects for exploration of lithium.
- The government said that GSI, in 2021-22, will go for exploration of lithium reserves in various states of the country.
- Lithium, a strategically important metal and a key element for new technologies.
- Lithium (Li) finds its use in battery, ceramics, glass, telecommunication and aerospace industries.
- The well-known uses of Lithium are in Lithium ion batteries, lubricating grease, high energy additive to rocket propellants.
- It is also used in the optical modulators for mobile phones and as convertor to tritium used as a raw material for thermonuclear reactions i.e. fusion.
- It should be known that at present China is the number one producer of lithium-ion batteries in the world.
- Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturers are likely to retain their recently acquired number one position in the next five years.
- The U.S. and Sweden may emerge third and fourth by 2025, respectively.
- Above position of China has been reported according to the forecast in Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s (BNEF) ‘Global Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Ranking.
- Lithium-bearing minerals fall under Part B ‘Atomic Minerals’ of the First Schedule of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957.
- Their reserves are not available in the National Mineral Inventory.
- According to a press release issued by the ministry, the GSI takes up different stages of mineral exploration as per the approved field season program.
- Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, GSI carried out 14 projects on Lithium and associated elements.
- That time GSI had taken in the exploration the states Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.
- For 2021-22, GSI has taken up seven projects for Lithium exploration in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan.
- Apart from the GSI, the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDER) is also present in this field.
- AMDER is a constituent unit of the Department of Atomic Energy.
- AMDER had undertaken exploration for Lithium in potential geological domains in parts of Karnataka and Rajasthan.
Links:-
https://www.indianext.co.in/2021/07/geological-survey-of-india-undertakes-seven-projects-for-lithium-exploration/
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1739885