Two Offshore Mineral Blocks in Andaman Sea Put Up for Auction

The correct answer is the Andaman Sea. The two blocks put up for auction, Sewell Rise-01 and West Sewell Ridge-01, both lie in the Andaman Sea, and both hold polymetallic nodules and crusts. Sewell Rise-01 covers an area of 632 square kilometres and West Sewell Ridge-01 covers 1,000 square kilometres, so the auction covers 1,632 square kilometres in all. Each block is being offered for a composite licence, which lets the holder explore first and then move towards production. The other options are wrong because no block in the Arabian Sea, the Laccadive Sea or the waters off Odisha was part of this notice inviting tender, which the ministry issued on 1 October 2026. Candidates should tie the block names to the Andaman Sea and recall that the metals involved are nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese.

The correct answer is 1,632 square kilometres. Sewell Rise-01 accounts for 632 square kilometres of that area and West Sewell Ridge-01 for the remaining 1,000 square kilometres, so the two blocks together make up the figure asked for. Option A gives only the smaller block and option B only the larger one, which is why both are wrong, while option D is simply not the sum of the two. The ministry had earlier redrawn block boundaries after hearing from likely bidders, enlarging the polymetallic nodule and crust blocks so that explorers have more operational room at sea. Both blocks are offered for a composite licence under the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, as amended in 2023. Remember both individual areas, since a question may ask for either block alone.

The correct answer is SBI Capital Markets Limited, which acts as the transaction adviser and explained the policy framework, the auction process and the bidding requirements at the outreach programme. The other three options all took part in the same programme but in different roles, which is what makes them attractive distractors. The Geological Survey of India presented the geological character and mineral promise of the two blocks. MSTC is the auction platform provider and demonstrated how tender documents are bought and bids filed through its portal. The National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust explained its scheme for repaying part of the exploration cost to composite licence holders of offshore blocks. Candidates should memorise this division of work, because questions on auctions often test which agency performs which function rather than the auction itself.

The correct answer is the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, as amended in 2023, read along with the Offshore Areas Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2024. This framework is meant to keep the allotment of sea bed mineral resources transparent and to push systematic exploration of the country's offshore potential. The other options are incorrect for this auction: the law of 1957 governs mineral concessions on land, while the remaining two choices do not provide for auctioning offshore mineral blocks at all. Along with the law, remember the timetable of this auction. Tender papers went on sale on 1 October 2026, the pre-bid conference is set for 4 November 2026, queries close on 13 November 2026, documents can be bought until 21 December 2026 and bids must reach the platform by 28 December 2026.