Q120. Koderma is particularly known for deposits of which mineral?
[DSSSB Assistant Section Officer, 18 August 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Iron ore
(B) Mica
(C) Coal
(D) Manganese
Answer: (B) Mica
Explanation: Koderma in Jharkhand lies in a historically important mica-producing belt extending into adjoining areas. Mica’s capacity to form thin sheets and resist electrical current encouraged its commercial mining. The district was widely associated with India’s mica trade.
Q119. Which mineral’s presence was reported by the Geological Survey of India in another state after Rajasthan?
[Punjab Police Constable, 2 June 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Manganese
(B) Graphite
(C) Bauxite
(D) Potash
Answer: (D) Potash
Explanation: Potash refers to potassium-bearing mineral salts, widely used to manufacture fertilizers. Exploration of domestic potash deposits is important because India has depended heavily on imports for potassium fertilizers. Rajasthan is among the principal regions identified with potash-bearing geological formations.
Q118. Which of the following is a non-metallic mineral?
[BSSC Group D, 11 May 2025]
(A) Mica
(B) Gold
(C) Iron
(D) Copper
Answer: (A) Mica
Explanation: Mica is classified as a non-metallic mineral because its economic properties are not based on obtaining a metal from it. Gold, iron and copper are metallic minerals. Mica is valued especially for its insulating properties and heat resistance.
Q117. Which industry consumes the largest share of manganese ore?
[SSC Selection Post, 29 August 2025]
(A) Photography
(B) Metallurgical industry
(C) Match manufacturing
(D) Leather industry
Answer: (B) Metallurgical industry
Explanation: Manganese is used mainly in metallurgy, particularly to produce steel and ferro-manganese alloys. It helps remove oxygen and sulphur and improves selected steel properties. Other uses exist, including batteries and chemical manufacturing, but steelmaking dominates industrial demand.
Q116. Which port in Odisha is important for exporting iron ore?
[OSSSC Combined Recruitment Examination, 10 October 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Paradip
(B) Ennore
(C) Tuticorin
(D) Jawaharlal Nehru Port
Answer: (A) Paradip
Explanation: Paradip is a major port on Odisha’s coast serving its mineral-rich hinterland. Rail and road links connect it with mining and steel-producing areas, supporting bulk-cargo movement. Ennore and Tuticorin are farther south, while Jawaharlal Nehru Port is in Maharashtra.
Q115. Which Indian state is popularly called the ‘State of Minerals’?
[BPSC 70th Combined Competitive Re-examination, 4 January 2025]
(A) Odisha
(B) West Bengal
(C) Bihar
(D) Jharkhand
Answer: (D) Jharkhand
Explanation: Jharkhand contains rich deposits of coal, iron ore, mica, copper and other minerals. Its Chota Nagpur Plateau is often called India’s mineral storehouse. The name reflects the importance of mining to the state’s economic geography rather than a formal constitutional designation.
Q114. Which iron-ore district and state are correctly matched?
[SSC CPO, 9 December 2025, Shift 1]
(A) Sundargarh — Jharkhand
(B) Keonjhar — Odisha
(C) Singhbhum — Bihar
(D) Mayurbhanj — Assam
Answer: (B) Keonjhar — Odisha
Explanation: Keonjhar is a major iron-ore district of Odisha. Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj are also in Odisha, while Singhbhum is in Jharkhand after the state’s formation in 2000. Careful attention to modern state boundaries is essential when matching mining districts.
Q113. Identify the mineral:
(I) It usually forms greenish crystals.
(II) It commonly occurs in basaltic rocks.
(III) Magnesium, iron and silica are its major constituents.
[UPSC CDS I (General Studies), 13 April 2025]
(A) Amphibolite
(B) Feldspar
(C) Pyroxene
(D) Olivine
Answer: (D) Olivine
Explanation: Olivine is a greenish magnesium–iron silicate commonly found in basalt and other mafic igneous rocks. Its formula is approximately (Mg,Fe)2SiO4. Unlike amphibolite, which is a rock, olivine is an individual mineral and an important constituent of Earth’s upper mantle.
Q112. Which statements about mineral occurrence are correct?
(a) Iron, gold and copper may occur in igneous rocks.
(b) Limestone and gypsum are associated with sedimentary rocks.
(c) Mica and garnet are never found in metamorphic rocks.
[MPSC Group B Prelims (2024 Cycle), 2 February 2025]
(A) Only (a) and (c)
(B) All (a), (b) and (c)
(C) Only (a) and (b)
(D) Only (b)
Answer: (C) Only (a) and (b)
Explanation: Metallic mineral deposits can develop in igneous and associated hydrothermal settings, while limestone and gypsum are typically sedimentary. Mica and garnet are also common in metamorphic rocks. Therefore the absolute claim in statement (c) makes it incorrect.
Q111. According to the referenced 2023–24 mineral statistics, which two states are major producers of copper concentrate?
[UPSC NDA I, 13 April 2025]
(A) Rajasthan and Gujarat
(B) Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
(C) Jharkhand and Rajasthan
(D) Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh
Answer: (B) Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: Rajasthan’s Khetri belt and Madhya Pradesh’s Malanjkhand area are key copper-mining regions. Their significance can be measured through copper-concentrate output. Geological resources and annual production are different measures, so answers depend on the specific reference period.
