RAS question
The Union Cabinet approved a scheme for manufacturing Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM) with a total outlay of ₹7,280 crore. What is the targeted annual production capacity?
Correct answer: (B) 6,000 MTPA.
The Union Cabinet-approved scheme for Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets targets 6,000 MTPA of integrated REPM manufacturing capacity in India.
Explanation
The target is 6,000 MTPA because the Cabinet-approved scheme is designed to establish an aggregate 6,000 Metric Tons per Annum of integrated Rare Earth Permanent Magnet manufacturing facilities in India. The Rs. 7,280 crore outlay includes support for this capacity, with the scheme allocating it to up to five beneficiaries selected through global competitive bidding. Each beneficiary can receive up to 1,200 MTPA, which also confirms the arithmetic of the total target. The policy focus is domestic integrated manufacturing: conversion of rare earth oxides to metals, metals to alloys, and alloys to finished REPMs, reducing import dependence in a strategically important technology area.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 2,000 MTPA is too low; the scheme's aggregate capacity target is 6,000 MTPA, not a one-third-sized programme.
- (C) 10,000 MTPA overstates the approved target; the cited Cabinet release specifies 6,000 MTPA for the manufacturing facilities.
- (D) 4,000 MTPA is not supported by the scheme design, which allocates capacity up to five beneficiaries at 1,200 MTPA each, totalling 6,000 MTPA.
Concept
This tests government technology and industrial-policy schemes under Science and Technology. RAS often asks exact capacities and outlays because such figures show whether a candidate has tracked the policy instrument, not just the sector name.