RAS question
Rajasthan is the largest producer of which building stone in India?
Correct answer: (D) Marble and Sandstone.
Rajasthan is India’s largest producer of marble and sandstone.
Explanation
Rajasthan is associated most strongly with marble and sandstone. Marble centres such as Makrana and Rajsamand, and sandstone centres such as Jodhpur and Dholpur, make the marble-sandstone pairing central to the state’s building-stone economy. Rajasthan Foundation lists the state among India’s major mineral regions, notes its highest reserve of marble resources and sandstone, and states that Rajasthan accounts for 90% of India’s marble, slate and sandstone production. For RAS purposes, the key is to connect Rajasthan’s building-stone economy with both marble and sandstone rather than treating either as an isolated fact.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Granite is associated mainly with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, while Rajasthan Foundation highlights Rajasthan’s marble and sandstone production.
- (B) Basalt does not fit Rajasthan’s building-stone profile because Maharashtra is the stronger production association for basalt.
- (C) Slate alone is too narrow because Rajasthan is India’s largest producer of marble and sandstone.
Concept
Rajasthan’s mineral and building-stone geography is a recurring RAS theme because industries, regional centres and state resource distribution are often asked together. The trap is to recognise the state-level production association, not just a familiar stone name.