Which of the following statement about current status of the reserves of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) is not correct? |ForumIAS

[A] China holds the leading position among producers of rare earth oxides.

[B] India is ranked 5th in terms of reserves.

[C] China holds the leading position in global reserves followed by USA.

[D] None of the above

Answer: C

Notes:

Explanation: What is the current status of the reserves of REEs?

The total global reserves are estimated at 120 million tonnes of rare earth oxides equivalent content (REO);
China alone accounts for 44 million tones followed by Vietnam and Russia;
China holds the leading position among producers of rare earth oxides with 140 thousand tonnes. The other major producers are Myanmar, Australia, USA, Russia and Malaysia;
India is ranked 5th in terms of reserves;
Significant rare earth minerals found in India are ilmenite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite, and rutile, collectively called Beach Sand Minerals (BSM);
Monazite is the principal source. Monazite is mainly found in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Jharkhand. According to the India Minerals Yearbook (2019), India had 12.47 million tonnes of Monazite Resources;
They are classified as atomic minerals and are therefore not at par with other minerals. The reason that they are classified as atomic minerals is because some of these elements occur in the earth’s surface along with thorium and uranium which are radioactive minerals.

Source: EPIC July 2022