RAS question
How many types of minerals are found in Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (A) 81.
Rajasthan has deposits of 81 types of minerals.
Explanation
Rajasthan is counted as one of India’s most mineral-rich states because the total number of mineral varieties found there is 81. That total is the figure asked in the question. The Department of Mines & Geology, Government of Rajasthan describes Rajasthan as the richest state for the availability and variety of minerals and states that it is blessed with 81 varieties. The same distinction also explains why 58 is not the answer: 58 refers to minerals being actively mined, not to the total mineral types found in the state. The broader mineral profile is reinforced by Rajasthan’s special position in lead-zinc ores, selenite and wollastonite, which marks the state as a major mineral geography topic for RAS.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 58 refers to the number of mineral types being actively mined, while the question asks the total number of mineral types found in Rajasthan.
- (C) 45 understates Rajasthan’s mineral variety and does not match the total of 81 mineral varieties.
- (D) 70 is linked to the 2047 target under Mineral Policy 2024, not to the present total number of mineral types found in Rajasthan.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan’s mineral-resource base, especially the distinction between total mineral varieties and minerals under active exploitation. It recurs in RAS because mineral distribution, state economy and Rajasthan’s national position in specific minerals are core geography themes.