Critical Minerals Mission
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Current affairsIndia-Belgium Joint Statement 2026: Investment Fast-Track Mechanism, IMEC Semiconductor Partnership, and Defence CooperationBelgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever visited India (September 2–4, 2026) — the first Belgian PM visit in two decades — and issued a comprehensive Joint Statement. India and Belgium set a target of doubling bilateral trade from approximately USD 13 billion, established an Investment Fast-Track Mechanism, announced IMEC semiconductor research collaboration, and signed a defence Letter of Intent covering exchanges, staff talks, and joint production. Current affairsIndia-Uzbekistan Bilateral Ties Elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: PM Modi's Tashkent Visit, Oliy Darajali Do'stlik Award, and the Uranium-Critical Minerals Cooperation FrameworkPrime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day state visit to Uzbekistan (August 29–30, 2026) elevated bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev conferred Uzbekistan's highest state honour — the Order of Oliy Darajali Do'stlik — on PM Modi. The two nations agreed on a long-term uranium supply framework, deepened critical-minerals cooperation, and established a Foreign Ministers' Coordination Council. India and Uzbekistan also set a bilateral trade target of US $5 billion by 2030. Current affairsVarsha Ashok Aglawe: First Woman Director General of the Geological Survey of India in Its 176-Year History — Geology, Critical Minerals, and the GSI MandateVarsha Ashok Aglawe assumed charge as the 54th Director General (DG) of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in August 2026, becoming the first woman to head the institution in its 176-year history since its founding in 1851. A palaeontologist and palynologist with over three decades of GSI service, she identified a new dinosaur nesting site in Central India and brings expertise in critical mineral exploration that aligns directly with India's National Critical Minerals Mission. Current affairsMines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 2026: Centre Restricts State Mineral Tax Powers, Voids Pending LeviesParliament passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill on 13 August 2026, restricting state governments from levying taxes or cesses on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands, and voiding all uncollected state mineral levies — a direct legislative response to the Supreme Court's landmark nine-judge bench ruling in the Mineral Area Development Authority v Steel Authority of India case (July 2024). Current affairsMines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026: Centre Curtails State Mineral Taxes, Unlocks Critical Mineral PotentialThe Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha by Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, proposes to restrict state governments from levying taxes, cess, or other charges on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands, remove the 50% cap on captive mine sales, allow multiple minerals in a single lease, and expand the National Mineral Exploration Trust's scope — aimed at bringing certainty and uniformity to India's critical minerals sector. Current affairsIndia Records Highest-Ever Monthly EV Sales in July 2026 — 3.28 Lakh Units, Up 66% YoYIndia registered its highest-ever monthly electric vehicle (EV) retail sales of 3,27,901 units in July 2026, up 66% year-on-year, according to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). Electric vehicles now account for approximately one in every eight vehicles sold in India. Electric two-wheelers crossed the two-lakh mark for the first time, while electric passenger vehicles grew 83% year-on-year.