Mineral Wealth of

India
 Mineral Wealth of India
● Mineral Wealth of India is exclusive in nature because of its uneven
distribution. Some areas are very rich in Mineral wealth and the
other are totally devoid of this valuable asset. Geomorphology and
Climate are major factors responsible for the Distribution of these
Minerals (e.g. High rainfall areas of India lack in Limestone,
Gypsum and Salts which are soluble).
CLASSIFICATION of Minerals
 Mineral BELTS of India

● NE Peninsular Belt
● Central Belt
● South-Western Belt
● North-Western Belt
● sOUTHERN BELT
CRATONS IN INDIA
● AravaLi CrAtoN
● SINghbHUM CRATON
● BUNDELKHAND
CRATON
● BASTAR CRATON
● DHARWAR CRATON
● Rock Systems in india
○ Archean rock system
■ Archean gneiss and
schist
■ Dharwar sediments
● PURANA ROCK SYSTEM
○ CUDDAPAH ROCK SYSTEM
○ VINDHYAN ROCK SYSTEM

● Dravidian Rock System

● ARyan rock system
○ Gondwana Rock system
○ DECCAN TRAPS
○ TErtiary system
○ Pleistocene/Recent rock
system
IRON ORE &
other
Metallic
minerals
 IRON ORE
1. Haematite: 70% of metallic content, Dharwad Rock System & Cudappah Rock
System. Barabil-Koira valley.
2. Magnetite: Black Ore, Metallic content varying from 60 to 70%. Magnetite also
occur in Dharwad & Cuddapah system, these have magnetic qualities. Most of
the reserves are found in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu &
Kerala.
3. Limonite: These are inferior ores yellowish in colour, contain 40-60% iron
metal. These are found in damuda series of Gondwana rock system in Raniganj
Coal Field, Garhwal, Mirzapur in UP, Kangra Valley of HP.
4. Siderite: It is also known as ʻIron Carbonates.ʼ This Iron ore is self-fluxing in
nature because of presence of lime content. It contains less than 40% of
metallic content.
IRON ORE DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA
● ODISHA: SINGHBHUM-ODISHA CRATON (Odisha: 5 Districts Sundergarh,
Mayurbhanj, Sambhalpur, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Koraput) Barabil-Koira valley.
● KARNATAKA: DHARWAD CRATON (Kemmangundi in Baba budan hills of
Chikmanglur, Sandur & Hospet in Bellary District, the other districts are
Dharwad, Shivmoga & Chitradurga.)
● CHATTISGARH: BASTAR CRATON Bailadila to Vizag Slurry Pipeline important for
Exports made to Japan, Bastar, Durg, Dantewada and Bijapur district.
● JHARKHAND: SINGHBHUM CRATON Noamandi Mines in Singhbhum district are
the richest, Magnetite ore occurs near Daltenganj in Palamu district.
 IRON ORE IN OTHER STATES:
● Andhra Pradesh: Kurnool, Guntur, Cuddapah
● Maharashtra: Chandrapur, Ratnagiri
● Rajasthan: Jaipur, Alwar, Sikar, Bhilwara
● Uttar Pradesh: Mirzapur
● Uttarakhand: Garhwal, Almora & Nainital
● Haryana: Mahendragarh
● Kerala: Kozhikode
IRon & Steel Industry:
● Raw Materials: Iron ore, coking
coal, flux or alloying material,
FUEL GASES

● OUTput: Steel, SLAG

(REDUCE<REUSE<RECYCLE)
 MANGANESE
● Manganese is mostly derived from ferrous ores which also contain
a significant amount of iron. It is hard & brittle metal that is added
to steel to enhance its strength. Nearly 6 kilograms of Manganese is
required for manufacturing 1 tonne of steel. It is also used for
manufacturing bleaching powder, Insecticides, paint & batteries.

● India has the second largest Manganese ore reserves in the World
after Zimbabwe.
 MANGANESE
● Maharashtra: Maharashtra Produces 27.66% of Indiaʼs total
manganese ore. Main belt is in Nagpur & Bhandara districts. High
grade ore is found in Ratnagiri district also.
● Madhya Pradesh: Balaghat-Chhindwara belt in MP is an extension of
Nagpur-Bhandara belt.
● Odisha: Sundargarh, Kalahandi & Koraput district. Also mined from
the laterite deposits in Bolangir & Sambalpur.
● Andhra Pradesh: Cuddapah, Guntur, Vijaynagaram & the main belt in
AP is in Srikakulam.
 COPPER
● Copper forms as molten rock when small amounts of copper fluid
crystallizes. copper is usually located in igneous rock formations that are
surrounded by rocks that have been altered by volcanic pressure and
high temperatures.
● Copper appears most frequently in deposits in which lead, silver, gold and
zinc are also present.
● Madhya Pradesh: Balaghat & Betul
● Rajasthan: Along the Aravali range (Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Jhunjhnu, Sikar &
Khetri-Singhana belt.
● Jharkhand: Singhbhum, Hazaribagh, Palamu & Gaya etc.
Countries, india imports
copper from:
1. Japan
2. Congo
3. Singapore
4. Chile
5. Tanzania
6. uae
 BAUXITE
● Bauxite formation process involves the breakdown and alteration of
aluminium rich rocks, such as Feldspar and Mica, under the influence
of temperature and pressure. The resulting bauxite deposits are found
in Lateritic soils.
● Odisha: Kalahandi, Koraput, Sambhalpur, Sundergarh, Bolangir which
extends upto Andhra Pradesh.
● Chhattisgarh: Maikala Range in bilaspur, Durg districts, Amarkantak
plateau regions of Surguja District.
● Maharashtra: Kolhapur District, Thane, Ratnagiri & Satara.
 GOLD
Three types of formation of Gold is possible:
1. Auriferous loads
2. Alluvium Deposits aka Placer deposits
3. Intrusive rock system
Generally, with prograde metamorphism Gold forms out of Pyrite which is a
Sulphide of Iron.
There are three major Gold fields in the Country:
1. Kolar Gold Field (Karnataka)
2. Hutti Gold Field (Karnataka)
3. Anantpur District (Andhra Pradesh)
 GOLD
● Jharkhand is an important producer of Gold with both alluvial and
native gold. Alluvial gold is obtained from Subarnrekha river, Sona
nadi in Singhbhum District. Native gold is found in Singhbhum district
and Chota Nagpur Plateau.

● Kerala has Alluvial Gold (Punna Puzha, Chabiyar Puzha).

 Non-Metallic Minerals
MICA
● The three major types of Mica is found in India : Muscovite (Moscow), Biotite
(Ferro-Silicate) & Phlogopite.
● Mica can be formed through following processes:
○ Consolidating Magma
○ Regional & Contact Metamorphism
○ Weathering of Feldspar & other Silicate minerals.
Andhra Pradesh: Largest mica producing state 93% of all India production. Thatʼs
why most of the trade of Mica is through the ports of Kolkata & Vishakhapatnam.
Rajasthan: (Jaipur to Udaipur), Kumbhalgarh & Bhilwara.
 LIMESTONE
● Limestone is associated with rocks composed of either calcium carbonate,
the double carbonates of calcium & magnesium. Limestone deposits are of
sedimentary origin from Pre Cambrian to recent times except Gondwana
age. Limestone deposition takes place in those regions which lack rainfall.
● 75% of the total production is used in Cement Industry, 16% in Iron & Steel
Industry (Flux Material) & 4% in chemical industry.
● Andhra Pradesh: More than 33% (Cudappah basin, Kurnool & Guntur)
● Madhya Pradesh: 16% Jabalpur, Betul & Satna
● Rajasthan: 6%, Jhunjhnu, Banswara, Ajmer & Bikaner
● Chhattisgarh: Deposits occur in Durg, Bastar & Raipur Districts.
Coal
Distribution
in india
COAL
During the Carboniferous period, Earth was covered in wide, shallow seas
and dense forests. The seas occasionally flooded the forested areas,
trapping plants and algae at the bottom of a swampy wetland.

As the plant debris shifted deeper under Earthʼs surface, it encountered

increased temperatures and higher pressure. Mud and acidic water
prevented the plant matter from coming into contact with oxygen. Due to
this, the plant matter decomposed at a very slow rate and retained most of
its carbon (source of energy).
Under the right conditions, peat transforms into coal through a process
called carbonization. Carbonization takes place under incredible heat and
pressure. About three meters (10 feet) of layered vegetation eventually
compresses into a third of a meter (one foot) of coal.

Types of Coal

1. Peat: First stage of transformation from Wood to Coal

2. Lignite: Brown coal with high moisture (Carries 40 to 55% carbon
content)
3. Bituminous: Coal with high calorific value
4. Anthracite: Carboniferous Coal, found in J&K
Coal Distribution in india
1.COALFIELDS IN JHARKHAND
● Jharia: Dhanbad District
● Bokaro: Hazaribagh District
● Girdih & Karanpura: Hazaribagh District
2.COALFIELDS IN CHHATTISGARH
● Jhilmili coalfield: Shandol district & Koriya
district
● Chirmiri coalfield: Surguja District
● Korba coalfield: Korba district
3. COALFIELDS IN ODISHA
● Talcher field: Dhenkanal and Sambalpur
districts
● Rampur-Himgir coalfields: Sambalpur and
Sundargarh
● Ib river coalfield: Sambalpur and Jharsuguda
district
4. COALFIELDS IN ANDHRA PRADESH
● Singrauli (Waidhian) coalfield: Sidhi and
Shahdol districts
● Pench-Kanhan-Tawa: Chhindwara district
● Sohagpur coalfield: Shahdol district
● Umaria coalfield: Umaria district
Environmental Consequences of Reliance on coal

● Particulate emission

● Tropospheric ozone

● Fly ash particles in the atmosphere

● Health impacts range from Asthma, brain damage,

heart problems, cancer, neurological disorders &
Premature death.
Government schemes to promote clean fuel

● With an increase in demand with increasing rate of

urbanisation & Industrialization, the world energy
outlook report predicts that need for energy in
India would rise by 3% annually.

● Zero effect zero defect, use of biofuel, BEE star

rating program, E- Vehicles for public and private
transportation.
Why does India import COal?
● Lack of coking coal reserves

● Imported from Russia, Indonesia, South Africa,

Australia.
COAL BED MEthane
● The methane is held
underground within the coal
and is extracted by drilling
into the coal seam and
removing the groundwater.

● The resulting drop in

pressure causes the
methane to be released
from the coal.
Critical earth minerals
Critical earth minerals are elements that are the building blocks of
essential modern day technologies, and at risk of Supply chain
disruptions.

Used everywhere from making mobile phones, computers to

batteries, electric vehicles and green tech like solar panels & wind
turbines.

Countries enlist their own Critical earth minerals as per their

strategic demands & their individual requirements.
 LITHIUM
● This metal is strategic in nature with wide application in the nuclear and
other high-tech industries such as electronics, telecommunication,
information technology, space, defense etc.
● The lithium battery allows that surplus to be stored more efficiently. These
batteries can store between 95 and 99% of the energy generated, while
those of lead-acid which is still commonly used to store solar energy, only
reach up to 85%.
● With the development of this technology, it is possible to store the energy
that supplies electricity to regions that do not yet have this service.
Current discoveries:
5.9 million tonnes inferred resources of lithium were discovered in the Salal-Haimana
area of Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir, by the Geological Survey of India.

● Global reserves:
○ Chile, Australia, Argentina, Bolivia and China contain most of the reserves
discovered so far globally.
○ In South America, 54% of the world's Lithium reserves are found in
Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.
● The area is referred to as the ‘Lithium Triangle’ and is concentrated in various
salt pans present in the Atacama Desert and neighbouring arid regions.
POtential sites in india
○ In India, there is some potential to recover lithium from brines of
Sambhar and Pachpadra areas in Rajasthan, and Rann of Kutch,
Gujarat.

○ The major mica belts located in Rajasthan, Bihar and Andhra

Pradesh and the pegmatite belts in Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
alongside rock mining being undertaken at Mandya, Karnataka, are
other potential geological domains of the country.
 Chromium Ore
● Chromium is a critical alloying metal. It is used in the production of alloys
with other metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and others, as well as in
many other metallurgical, refractory, and chemical industries. Chromium
increases the strength, hardness, and toughness of its alloys.Chromite (Cr)
is the only commercially viable chromium ore, also known chemically as
iron chromium oxide.
● Odisha: More than 93 per cent of the resources (Sukinda valley in Cuttack
and Jajapur). Odisha is the sole producer of Chromite Ore (around 99%).
More than 85% of the ore is of high quality (Keonjhar, Cuttack, and
Dhenkanal).
 Global Distribution of Chromite
● The mineral chromite is the primary source of chromium. South
Africa, Kazakhstan, India, Albania, and Turkey are among the
countries that have deposits of this mineral.
Rare earth minerals & their usage
REMs Uses
LANTHANUM Night vision goggles

Laser range-finders, guidance systems,

Neodyminum communications

Fluorescents and phosphors in lamps and

Europium
monitors
Erbium Amplifiers in fiber-optic data transmission
 REMs Uses
Permanent magnets that are stable at high
Samarium
temperatures

Samarium Precision-guided weapons

Samariums White noise’ production in stealth technology

PYQs
Steel slag can be the material for which of the following?

1. Construction of base road

2. Improvement of agricultural soil
3. Production of cement

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3
PYQs
Consider the following statements:

1. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead and mercury.

2. Coal-fired power plants release sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen into the
environment.
3. High ash content is observed in Indian coal.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3
PYQs
Consider the following minerals:

1. Bentonite
2. Chromite
3. Kyanite
4. Sillimanite

In India, which of the above is/are officially designated as major minerals?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 4 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 2, 3 and 4 only

PYQs
In India, the steel production industry requires the import of

(a) saltpetre

(b) rock phosphate

(c) coking coal

(d) All of the above

PYQs
With reference to the management of minor minerals in India, consider the following statements:

1. Sand is a ‘minor mineral’ according to the prevailing law in the country.

2. State Governments have the power to grant mining leases of minor minerals, but the
powers regarding the formation of rules related to the grant of minor minerals lie with the
Central Government.
3. State Governments have the power to frame rules to prevent illegal mining of minor
minerals.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

PYQs
Which of the following are some important pollutants released by the steel industry in
India?

1. Oxides of sulphur
2. Oxides of nitrogen
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Carbon dioxide

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1, 3 and 4 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(e) 1 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
PYQs
With reference to two non-conventional energy sources called ‘coalbed methane’ and ‘shale gas’,
consider the following ‘statements:

1. Coalbed methane is the pure methane gas extracted from coal seams, while shale gas is a
mixture of propane and butane only that can be extracted from fine-grained sedimentary
rocks.
2. In India, abundant coalbed methane sources exist, but so far no shale gas sources have
been found.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only (b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2