India is actively participating in the race to mine valuable minerals from the ocean floor, which are crucial for renewable energy technologies. The country has already obtained two deep-sea exploration licenses in the Indian Ocean and has applied for two more. This competition for critical minerals, such as cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese, is intensifying among major global powers like China and Russia. The United Nations-affiliated International Seabed Authority (ISA) has issued 31 exploration licenses, with India seeking to increase its count to match Russia and come close to China's number.

India's applications focus on exploring polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the Central Indian Ocean. The ISA has raised questions and concerns about these applications, including the claim of another country over the seabed area India has applied for. Regardless of the outcome, India is determined not to lag behind in securing critical minerals from the ocean depths. The Indian Ocean holds significant potential reserves, motivating the Indian government to increase its scientific exploration efforts.

India is not alone in this pursuit, as countries like China, Germany, and South Korea already have exploration licenses in the Indian Ocean. India conducted trials of its mining machine in 2022 and successfully collected polymetallic nodules rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper. The country's deep-sea mining plans are driven by the desire to establish itself as a powerhouse in its own right and not fall behind China in deep-sea exploration.

While some argue that land-based mining has reached its limits and faces environmental and conflict-related challenges, environmental campaigners express concerns about the potential damage deep-sea mining could cause. Several countries, including the UK, Germany, Brazil, and Canada, are calling for a halt or temporary pause on deep-sea mining due to the lack of information about marine ecosystems in those depths.

The World Bank projects a fivefold increase in the extraction of critical minerals by 2050 to meet the demand for clean energy technologies. India aims to increase its renewables capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030 and meet 50% of its energy requirements from renewables. To achieve these targets, India needs to secure critical minerals from all possible sources, including the deep seabed. Currently, a few countries dominate the production of critical minerals on land, raising geopolitical concerns about China's dominance in processing these minerals.

To counter China's dominance, the US and several western countries have launched the Minerals Security Partnership, of which India is now a member. India has also signed an agreement with Russia to develop deep-sea mining technologies. The combination of rising geopolitical tensions and the energy transition is accelerating the race to extract and utilize critical minerals.

Original news source: India in undersea race to mine world’s battery metal (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs or small groups. Provide each group with a copy of the article. Instruct them to read the article and then summarize the main points in a brief news summary. They should focus on capturing the key information and presenting it concisely. Afterward, each group can present their news summary to the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Begin by discussing the topic of deep-sea mining and the potential environmental concerns it raises. Divide the class into two groups: one in favor of deep-sea mining and one against it. Instruct each group to come up with three strong arguments to support their stance. Then, conduct an opinion poll where each student votes for either the pro or con side. Afterward, facilitate a class discussion where students can share their opinions and reasoning.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Select 10 key vocabulary words from the article and write each word on a separate piece of paper. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word. They must then draw a picture to represent the word, without using any letters or numbers. The team members must guess the word based on the drawing. The team that guesses correctly earns a point. Continue until all the words have been drawn and guessed.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Provide each group with a copy of the article. Instruct them to take turns summarizing the article to their partner in one minute or less. Encourage them to focus on the main points and key information. After each round, have the pairs or groups switch roles so that each student has a chance to summarize and listen.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Discuss the future implications of deep-sea mining for renewable energy technologies. Ask the students to make predictions about how the race for critical minerals will unfold, and what impact it will have on global power dynamics and the environment. Divide the class into small groups and have them brainstorm and discuss their predictions. Afterward, each group can share their predictions with the class and engage in a discussion about the different perspectives.

India is actively participating in the race to mine valuable minerals from the ocean floor, which are crucial for renewable energy technologies. The country has already obtained two deep-sea exploration ? in the Indian ? and has applied for two more. This competition for critical minerals, such as cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese, is intensifying among major global powers like ? and Russia. The United Nations-affiliated International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ? 31 exploration licenses, with India seeking to increase its count to match Russia and come close to China's number. India's applications focus on exploring polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the Central Indian Ocean. The ISA has ? questions and concerns about these applications, ? the claim of another country over the seabed area ? has applied for. Regardless of the outcome, India is determined not to lag behind in securing critical minerals from the ocean depths. The Indian Ocean holds significant potential reserves, motivating the Indian government to increase its scientific exploration efforts. India is not alone in this pursuit, as countries like China, Germany, and South Korea already have exploration licenses in the Indian Ocean. India ? trials of its mining machine in 2022 and successfully collected polymetallic nodules rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper. The country's deep-sea mining plans are driven by the desire to establish itself as a powerhouse in its own right and not fall behind China in deep-sea exploration. While some ? that land-based mining has reached its limits and faces ? and conflict-related challenges, environmental campaigners express concerns about the potential ? deep-sea mining could cause. ? countries, including the UK, Germany, Brazil, and Canada, are calling for a halt or temporary pause on deep-sea mining due to the lack of information about marine ecosystems in those depths. The World Bank projects a fivefold increase in the extraction of critical minerals by 2050 to meet the demand for clean energy technologies. India aims to increase its renewables capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030 and meet 50% of its ? requirements from renewables. To achieve these targets, India needs to secure critical minerals from all possible sources, including the deep seabed. Currently, a few countries dominate the production of critical minerals on land, raising ? concerns about China's ? in processing these minerals. To counter China's dominance, the US and several western countries have launched the Minerals Security Partnership, of which India is now a ?. India has also signed an agreement with Russia to develop deep-sea mining technologies. The combination of rising geopolitical tensions and the energy transition is accelerating the race to extract and utilize critical minerals.

1. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of mining valuable minerals from the ocean floor?
2. How would you feel if your country was lagging behind in securing critical minerals from the ocean depths? Why?
3. Do you think deep-sea mining is a sustainable solution for meeting the demand for clean energy technologies? Why or why not?
4. What is the significance of the Indian Ocean in the race to mine valuable minerals?
5. How do you think the extraction of critical minerals from the ocean floor could impact marine ecosystems? Why?
6. What are some potential environmental and conflict-related challenges associated with land-based mining?
7. How do you think the race to extract and utilize critical minerals is affecting geopolitical tensions?
8. Do you believe that a temporary pause on deep-sea mining is necessary to gather more information about marine ecosystems? Why or why not?
9. What is the role of renewable energy technologies in reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change?
10. How do you think the demand for clean energy technologies will impact the extraction of critical minerals in the future?
11. Do you think it is fair for a few countries to dominate the production of critical minerals on land? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the Minerals Security Partnership can counter China's dominance in processing critical minerals?
13. What are some potential economic benefits that countries can gain from deep-sea mining?
14. How do you think the energy transition is influencing the race to extract and utilize critical minerals?
15. Do you believe that countries should prioritize the extraction of critical minerals from the ocean floor over other sources? Why or why not?

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