India is joining the race to mine valuable minerals from the ocean floor. These minerals are important for renewable energy technologies. India already has two licenses to explore the deep sea in the Indian Ocean and has applied for two more. Other big countries like China and Russia are also competing for these minerals. The International Seabed Authority has given out 31 exploration licenses, and India wants to have as many as Russia and close to China.

India wants to explore polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the Central Indian Ocean. The International Seabed Authority has some concerns about India's applications, like another country claiming the same area. But India is determined to get these minerals from the ocean floor. The Indian Ocean has a lot of these minerals, so India wants to explore more.

China, Germany, and South Korea are also exploring the Indian Ocean for minerals. India tested its mining machine in 2022 and successfully collected minerals like manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper. India wants to be a leader in deep-sea exploration and not fall behind China.

Some people think that land-based mining has problems and that deep-sea mining could also be harmful. Some countries want to stop or pause deep-sea mining because we don't know enough about the ocean's ecosystems.

The World Bank says that we need to extract five times more critical minerals by 2050 to meet the demand for clean energy. India wants to increase its renewable energy capacity by 2030 and get 50% of its energy from renewables. To do this, India needs to get these minerals from the ocean floor. Right now, only a few countries have control over these minerals, and this makes some people worried about China's power.

To compete with China, the US and other western countries have started the Minerals Security Partnership. India is now a member of this group. India has also made an agreement with Russia to develop deep-sea mining technologies. The competition for these minerals is getting more intense because of tensions between countries and the need for clean energy.

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

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will read the article and create a brief summary of the main points. They should focus on key information such as India's exploration for minerals in the Indian Ocean, competition with other countries, concerns about deep-sea mining, and the need for clean energy.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will work in pairs or small groups and discuss their opinions on deep-sea mining. They should consider the environmental impact, the need for clean energy, and the competition between countries. After the discussion, each group will present their opinions to the class and conduct a poll to see which opinion is most common among the students.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. exploration, minerals, renewable energy, ecosystems). One student from each team will come to the front of the class and draw a picture to represent one word. The team members must guess the word based on the drawing. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns summarizing the article in one minute or less. They should try to include the main points and key details. After each round, students can switch partners and summarize again, trying to improve their speed and accuracy.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of deep-sea mining. They should consider the potential impact on the environment, the development of renewable energy technologies, and the competition between countries. Each group will present their predictions to the class and explain their reasoning.

India is joining the race to mine valuable ? from the ocean floor. These minerals are important for renewable energy technologies. India already has two licenses to explore the deep sea in the Indian Ocean and has applied for two more. Other big countries like ? and Russia are also competing for these minerals. The International Seabed Authority has given out 31 ? licenses, and India wants to have as many as Russia and close to China. India wants to explore ? sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the ? ? Ocean. The International Seabed Authority has some concerns about India's applications, like another ? claiming the same area. But India is determined to get these minerals from the ocean floor. The Indian Ocean has a lot of these minerals, so India wants to explore more. China, Germany, and South Korea are also ? the Indian Ocean for minerals. India tested its mining machine in 2022 and successfully collected minerals like manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper. India wants to be a leader in deep-sea exploration and not fall behind China. Some people think that land-based mining has problems and that deep-sea mining could also be ?. Some countries want to stop or ? deep-sea mining because we don't know ? about the ocean's ecosystems. The World Bank says that we need to extract five times more critical minerals by 2050 to meet the demand for clean energy. ? wants to increase its renewable energy capacity by 2030 and get 50% of its energy from renewables. To do this, India needs to get these minerals from the ? floor. Right now, only a few countries have control over these minerals, and this ? some people worried about China's power. To compete with China, the US and other western countries have started the Minerals Security Partnership. India is now a ? of this group. India has also made an agreement with Russia to develop deep-sea ? technologies. The competition for these minerals is getting more intense because of tensions between countries and the need for clean energy.

1. What are valuable minerals and why are they important for renewable energy technologies?
2. How do you think India feels about joining the race to mine minerals from the ocean floor?
3. Do you think it's a good idea for India to explore the Indian Ocean for minerals? Why or why not?
4. What do you think are some concerns the International Seabed Authority has about India's applications?
5. How would you feel if another country claimed the same area as India for mining minerals? Why?
6. Do you think deep-sea mining could be harmful to the ocean's ecosystems? Why or why not?
7. What are some problems with land-based mining that some people think deep-sea mining could also have?
8. Why do you think some countries want to stop or pause deep-sea mining?
9. What do you think it means to "extract five times more critical minerals by 2050"?
10. How do you think India feels about increasing its renewable energy capacity by 2030?
11. Why do you think India needs to get minerals from the ocean floor to achieve its renewable energy goals?
12. Do you think it's a good idea for only a few countries to have control over these minerals? Why or why not?
13. How do you think India feels about China's power in relation to these minerals?
14. What do you think the Minerals Security Partnership is and why do you think it was created?
15. How do you think tensions between countries are affecting the competition for these minerals?

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