RAS question
Palana lignite deposits are in which district?
Correct answer: (C) Bikaner.
Palana-Barsinghsar lignite deposits are in Bikaner district of Rajasthan.
Explanation
Palana is tied to the Palana-Barsinghsar lignite belt in Bikaner district. The Department of Mines and Geology, Rajasthan, lists lignite exploitation at Giral in Barmer, Kapurdi-Jalipa in Barmer, Palana-Barsinghsar in Bikaner, and Mata Sukh-Kasnau-Igiyar in Nagaur. Bikaner is the precise district for Palana-Barsinghsar, even though lignite resources occur across several western and north-western Rajasthan districts. The applied significance is also important: the Palana lignite mines in Bikaner supply fuel to the Barsingsar thermal power plant, linking the deposit to Rajasthan's lignite-based power generation.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jaisalmer is among Rajasthan's lignite-resource districts, but Palana-Barsinghsar is in Bikaner, not Jaisalmer.
- (B) Nagaur has a separate lignite area at Mata Sukh-Kasnau-Igiyar, so it should not be confused with Palana-Barsinghsar in Bikaner.
- (D) Barmer is associated with Giral and Kapurdi-Jalipa lignite areas, whereas Palana-Barsinghsar is specifically in Bikaner district.
Concept
Rajasthan's mineral geography requires district-wise knowledge of fuel-mineral deposits. Lignite locations recur in RAS because they connect resource distribution with thermal power locations.