Question

In which of the following minerals in India are not self sufficient?

Answer 1

Hint: This mineral is pliable and smooth and is a good conductor of heat and electricity.
- It is of reddish-metallic in colour and it has great human nutrition importance.
- It is one of the very first minerals used by human civilisation.

Complete Answer:
A. In India major copper mining centres are at Singhbhum in Jharkhand, Malanjkhand in MP, Alwar in Rajasthan, Khetri-Singhana and Kho-Dariba. But when looked at from reserves and production point of view, India is seriously deficient in copper reserves. This mineral is widely used for making wires and other electrical appliances by the electrical industries.

B. In India iron ore is mainly found in Karnataka, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Goa and Jharkhand. It stands first in Asia in the field of iron ore reserves which are mainly distributed in peninsular India. Magnetite and haematite type of iron ore is most important.

C. Coal fulfils about 55 percent of the energy need of India. Thus it is the most important fossil fuel of India. The largest number of coal reserves are found in Jharkhand followed by Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

D. India is an important mica producing country as it contributes about 60 percent of the world's total mica production. In India, Andhra Pradesh contributes the largest share in the production of mica. Being an insulator it can bear high voltage current. Thus it is widely used in the electrical and electronics industries.

Thus the correct answer is option A.

Note: - With the production of 930 million tonnes of iron ore in 2019, Australia is the leading producer of iron ore.
- Copper is critically essential for the production of blood cells and is present in many foods and most sources of water. Foods that are rich in copper contain leafy greens, grains, potatoes and beans.