Self-Reliance in Rare Earths Key to National Security, Says President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu gave a strong message: India has to strive for self-sufficiency in rare earths to ensure its future. She argued that rare earth elements were the "backbone of modern technology," playing a role in everything from smartphones and electric cars to defense systems and clean energy technologies.

President Murmu reminded everyone that the elements are not scarce due to their rarity but due to the extremely complicated process of extracting and refining them. India does possess deposits of rare earth elements, but a lot of technology to make them useful is still imported from elsewhere. The foundation of indigenous technology for refining and mining will help reduce dependency and will be a huge step toward a self-reliant India.

She mentioned that the international situation demands India to solidify its dominance over these resources. In a world where countries are fighting for the upper hand in technology and defense, being dependent on imports is a risk.

Having our own supply of rare earths would position India better in the international system, and also contribute to economic and national security. Meanwhile, President Murmu called on geoscientists to go for environmentally friendly methods. She highlighted the necessity of mitigating the ecological impact of mining, preserving marine biodiversity, and providing protection to workers involved in utilizing oceanic and terrestrial resources.

Relating her talk to history, she described how minerals have defined civilizations from the Stone Age to the age of industry and, at this moment in time when the world shifts toward cleaner energy and further digitalization, rare earth minerals are positioned to take an on equal footing in defining civilization.