India imports all the lithium, cobalt, and nickel it needs for batteries. In some states, it also pumps groundwater out faster than nature can refill it. Two different resources, two different depletion stories. This article covers both — water and minerals — India’s response to each, and the exact PYQs built on these terms.
Must Know
Two Depletion Fronts
- StoryIndia’s natural resources face depletion pressure on two fronts: groundwater and critical minerals.
National Groundwater: Recovering
- DataNationally, groundwater is improving. Safe assessment units rose from 62.6% in 2017 to 73.4% in 2024. Over-exploited units fell from 17.24% to 11.1% over the same period.
Rajasthan and Haryana: The Exceptions
- InsteadRegional reality looks very different. In Rajasthan, 70% of assessment units (214 of 302) are over-exploited. In Haryana, it’s 61.5% (88 of 143).
100% Import-Dependent
- StoryIndia is 100% import-dependent for lithium, cobalt, and nickel — the three minerals central to battery manufacturing.
Good to Know
More Imported Minerals
- DataIndia also imports over 90% of its copper and 60% of its natural graphite.
China’s Processing Dominance
- StoryChina supplies over 80% of India’s lithium imports, and also dominates global processing of cobalt and nickel.
National Critical Minerals Mission
- StoryOn 29 January 2025, the Union Cabinet approved the National Critical Minerals Mission. Its outlay is ₹34,300 crore, spread across 2024-25 to 2030-31.
Demand Set to Double
- ResultDemand for critical minerals is expected to more than double by 2030, as clean-energy and electronics manufacturing scale up.
✅ Test Yourself
Work through a 5-question chain covering groundwater safety data, Rajasthan’s crisis, and the National Critical Minerals Mission, then keep practising with a random Environment and Ecology question.
Great to Know
Why National Averages Mislead
- StoryThe groundwater story shows why national averages can mislead. The country-level trend is improving, but that improvement isn’t spread evenly.
- InsteadSome states are recovering, while others, like Rajasthan and Haryana, are deepening a crisis.
Not a Reserves Problem
- StoryMineral depletion in India isn’t really about running out underground. It’s about processing and refining capacity.
- InsteadMost of that capacity sits in China, not India — India isn’t necessarily short on reserves.
Two Different Responses
- MechanismWater and mineral depletion call for different responses. Groundwater needs local recharge and regulation.
- HowMineral security needs geological exploration plus downstream processing investment. Recycling schemes are one attempt to close that gap.
- LinkFor India’s shift toward non-fossil energy, which will only raise mineral demand further, see EnvEco0008 — Energy Resources. For land degradation and restoration, see EnvEco0009 — Environmental Degradation.
PYQ / Exam Angle
CSP 2026: REEs and Critical Minerals
- QuestionUPSC CSP 2026 tested four statements on Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals. The answer is statements 1 and 3 only.
- WhyStatement 2 is wrong: the US is the #2 REE miner, not India. Statement 4 is wrong: REEs are 17 elements, not 13.
- LinkSource: UPSC CSP 2026, GS Paper I (see Q95).
NDA 2026: Minerals NOT in Solar Cells
- QuestionNDA/NA-1 2026 asked which of Neodymium, Tellurium, Dysprosium, and Gallium are NOT used in photovoltaic cells. The answer is Neodymium and Dysprosium.
- WhyTellurium and Gallium are core semiconductors in thin-film PV cells (CdTe and CIGS/GaAs). Neodymium and Dysprosium instead go into permanent magnets for wind-turbine generators.
- LinkSource: NDA/NA-1 2026, General Ability (see Q115).
NDA 2020: What Doesn’t Deplete Groundwater
- QuestionNDA/NA 2020 asked which of Afforestation, Loss of forests, Excessive pumping, and Concrete construction is NOT a cause of groundwater depletion. The answer is Afforestation.
- WhyAfforestation actually aids groundwater recharge rather than depleting it — the opposite of the other three options, which all reduce recharge or increase extraction.
- LinkSource: NDA/NA 2020, General Ability Test (see Q137).
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IndEco0175 — Critical and Strategic Minerals in IndiaUPSC CSP 2026 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2025 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2023 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2019 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)❓ Practice this topic
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