India Helium Inventory Crisis 2026 — Why Helium is Scarce on Earth, Import Vulnerability | UPSC Science MCQ
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Question (English)
With reference to the Helium Crisis of 2026 and India's vulnerability, consider the following statements:
Statement I: India maintains only 7–10 days of helium inventory, making it highly vulnerable to global supply disruptions.
Statement II: Helium is abundant on Earth but difficult to extract due to its chemical reactivity with other minerals at high temperatures.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct ✓ Correct
- Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
- Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
- Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
Correct Answer: Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
Statement I is correct: India maintains only 7–10 days of helium inventory, making it extremely vulnerable to global supply disruptions. Statement II is incorrect: Helium is NOT abundant on Earth — and it is scarce NOT because of chemical reactivity (helium is an inert noble gas that does not react chemically), but because its low density allows it to escape Earth's atmosphere. Helium is the second most abundant element in the observable universe but relatively rare on Earth for this physical reason.
Why Helium is Rare on Earth — The Correct Explanation
- Helium is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, inert, non-flammable noble gas.
- It has the lowest boiling and melting points of all elements, allowing it to remain liquid even near absolute zero.
- Helium is the second lightest element. Its low density means it is not gravitationally bound to Earth's atmosphere and escapes into outer space over geological time.
- It cannot be synthesized artificially — it is obtained only as a by-product during cryogenic processing of natural gas into LNG.
- It is NOT chemically reactive — as a noble gas, it has a complete outer electron shell. Statement II's claim about 'chemical reactivity with minerals' is factually wrong.
India's Helium Import Dependency Profile
- 100% import-dependent; demand ~3.4 million cubic metres (2025).
- Over 50% of imports from Qatar.
- Only 7–10 days inventory — the crisis of 2026 exposed this vulnerability acutely.
- Domestic potential in West Bengal and Jharkhand gas fields, but below 0.2% threshold for economic extraction.
