RAS question
Calcite deposits in Rajasthan are found in which areas?
Correct answer: (B) Udaipur and Rajsamand.
Calcite deposits in Rajasthan are found in Udaipur and Rajsamand, within the Aravalli region noted for this mineral occurrence.
Explanation
Rajasthan's calcite deposits occur in the Aravalli region, especially Udaipur, Rajsamand and Sirohi districts. The Rajasthan Department of Mines and Geology's non-metallic minerals page lists important calcite deposits in Udaipur district, including Dhinkali, Gayphal and Rabcha, and in Sirohi district at Belka Pahar and Khila. Udaipur and Rajsamand fit the Aravalli-region cluster associated with Rajasthan's calcite occurrence. Jaipur-Tonk, Jodhpur-Jaisalmer, and Kota-Bundi are associated in Rajasthan's mineral geography either with different minerals or with districts outside the principal calcite cluster.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jaipur may have minor calcite occurrences, but the main Aravalli-region calcite cluster is Udaipur, Rajsamand and Sirohi, not Jaipur and Tonk.
- (C) Jodhpur and Jaisalmer are better linked with sandstone than with Rajasthan's principal calcite occurrences.
- (D) Kota and Bundi fall outside the principal Aravalli calcite cluster, and Kota is associated with limestone rather than calcite.
Concept
The Rajasthan Geography syllabus covers the spatial distribution of non-metallic minerals. RAS frequently uses district-mineral pairing to check whether aspirants know Rajasthan's resource geography beyond broad mineral names.