RAS question
The Kolar Gold Fields are located in:
Correct answer: (C) Karnataka.
The Kolar Gold Fields are located in Karnataka, in Kolar district.
Explanation
Kolar Gold Fields, usually shortened to KGF, is not a general name for any gold-bearing tract in India; it refers to a specific mining region and taluk in Kolar district, Karnataka. That is why Karnataka is the correct answer. Kolar district, Government of Karnataka describes KGF as a mining region in Karnataka and notes that the town was known for gold mining for over a century before mining closed in 2001 because of low gold production. KGF was historically significant and counted among the world's deepest gold mines, even though operations have largely ceased. For location-based mineral questions, fix the state first, then remember the district cue: Kolar district equals Karnataka.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Andhra Pradesh is not correct because Kolar Gold Fields are in Kolar district of Karnataka.
- (B) Jharkhand is a coal-associated distractor here; KGF is identified with Karnataka, not Jharkhand.
- (D) Rajasthan is not the location of Kolar Gold Fields; KGF is tied to Kolar district in Karnataka.
Concept
This tests the Geography of India syllabus area on mineral resources and their spatial distribution. RAS repeats such questions because major mineral fields are often asked through direct state-location mapping.