RAS question
Which ministry oversees the REPM manufacturing scheme?
Correct answer: (B) Ministry of Heavy Industries.
The Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM) is overseen by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
Explanation
The Press Information Bureau release identifies the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM) as a Ministry of Heavy Industries initiative, so option B is correct. It states that the Union Cabinet approved the scheme with a financial outlay of Rs. 7,280 crore. The scheme aims to establish 6,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) of integrated REPM manufacturing capacity in India and strengthen the domestic REPM ecosystem. The key is to distinguish the sector associated with rare-earth magnets from the ministry administering the scheme. Since the release places the scheme under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, that ministry is the only correct answer.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Ministry of Mines is incorrect because the scheme is administered by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
- (C) The Ministry of Science & Technology is incorrect because the release names the Ministry of Heavy Industries as the overseeing ministry.
- (D) The Ministry of Electronics & IT is incorrect because the release places the scheme under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
Concept
This tests current government schemes and ministry mapping, a recurring RAS governance area because policy questions often turn on the implementing ministry rather than the sector named in the scheme. Here, the rare-earth context can mislead unless the official ministry is identified.