Distribution Of Minerals And Mining Regions

**Statement 1 is incorrect:** Natural gas in India is mostly found in Assam, Gujarat, and offshore basins (like Mumbai High). Gondwana beds are primarily coal-bearing formations, not major sources of natural gas. **Statement 2 is correct:** Koderma district in Jharkhand is known as the “mica capital of India”. **Statement 3 is incorrect:** Dharwar rocks (in Karnataka and Maharashtra) are ancient metamorphic rocks, not petroleum-bearing formations. 

**Statement 1 is incorrect:** Coal bed methane is indeed pure methane gas extracted from coal seams. However, shale gas is not a mixture of propane and butane only. Shale gas is primarily composed of methane, similar to coal bed methane, and can be extracted from fine-grained sedimentary rocks, specifically shale formations. So, the first part of the statement is correct, but the second part is incorrect. **Statement 2 is incorrect:** It's not accurate to say that no shale gas sources have been found in India. While it's true that coal-bed methane sources are abundant in India, shale gas sources have also been identified, although their exploitation is at a nascent stage compared to coal-bed methane. Therefore, neither of the statements is entirely correct.

India has sufficient reserves of iron ore, a key raw material for steel production. However, it lacks coking coal, a specific type of coal essential for the steel-making process. Saltpetre (option A) and rock phosphate (option B) are not directly used in steel production.

Shale gas is a natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations. - In India, shale gas resources are found in several regions. - The Cambay Basin, located in western India, is one of the oldest and most productive sedimentary basins in India and has been a major source of conventional oil and gas. - The Cauvery Basin and Krishna-Godavari Basin are also known to have shale gas resources.  Therefore, all three basins mentioned in the options are known to have shale gas resources. Hence, the correct answer is (d) 1, 2 and 3.

The correct statement is 3 only. **Statement 1 is incorrect.** Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act of 2015, state governments conduct auctions for non-coal mine licenses. **Statement 2 is incorrect.** Both Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand have gold deposits and ongoing mining activities. **Statement 3 is correct.** Rajasthan is known for its rich iron ore deposits and mining. 

Monazite is a brown crystalline mineral consisting of cerium, lanthanum, other rare earth elements, and thorium. Monazite usually occurs in small, isolated crystals or grains that are resistant to weathering and become concentrated in soils. **Statements 1 and 2 are correct.** Monazite is a major source of rare earths and thorium. It yields several rare-earth elements, such as neodymium and praseodymium. Both of these are in demand internationally for making high-performance rare-earth magnets (components of power wind turbines, electric vehicles and robotics) **Statement 3 is incorrect.** Though monazite is found in most coastal areas of India. It is questionable to be found along the entire coast. The main mines are found along the coasts of southern India in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and in Orissa. **Statement 4 is correct.** Export of monazite without a license from AERB is a violation of the Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules 2004. Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL), a wholly owned Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India (GOI) under DAE, is the only entity that has been permitted to produce and process monazite and handle it for domestic use as well as for export.

* Ilmenite (FeTiO3) and Rutile (TiO2) are both minerals that contain high concentrations of titanium. * Titanium is a strong and lightweight metal known for its excellent corrosion resistance and high strength-to-weight ratio. It is widely used in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, and construction. * In India, certain coastal tracts are known for their significant ilmenite and rutile deposits. Hence these minerals are also called beach sand minerals. These minerals are commonly found in beach sand deposits and are extracted through beach sand mining operations. The extracted ilmenite and rutile are processed to obtain titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is then further refined to produce metallic titanium. * Beach sand is rich in seven heavy minerals—ilmenite, leucoxene, rutile, zircon, sillimanite, garnet and monazite.

* **Statement I is Correct :** India has domestic uranium reserves, but they are not enough to meet the country's nuclear power generation needs. Additionally, some nuclear reactors in India use imported uranium. Coal remains the dominant source of electricity production in India, although its share is gradually decreasing.  * The major uranium deposits of the country occur in geological basins of the Singhbhum shear zone (Jharkhand), Cuddapah basin (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), Mahadek basin (Meghalaya), Delhi Supergroup of rocks (Rajasthan) and Bhima basin (Karnataka). * **Statement II is Incorrect :** Nuclear power plants can utilise uranium enriched to varying degrees. India primarily uses Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) that can function efficiently with low-enriched uranium (around 2-5% enrichment).