RAS question
The 'Mica Belt' of Rajasthan extends through which of the following districts?
Correct answer: (C) Bhilwara, Udaipur, Rajsamand.
Rajasthan's mica belt extends through Bhilwara, Udaipur and Rajsamand districts in the Aravalli region.
Explanation
The mica belt asked here is the Rajasthan part of the state's non-metallic mineral distribution, centred on the Aravalli region. RBSE Solutions for Class 12 Geography Chapter 16 Biotic and Non-biotic Resources treats mica as a non-metallic mineral and lists Rajasthan among India's major mica-producing states. In its Rajasthan section, it names Bhilwara, Udaipur and Rajsamand among the major mica-producing districts, which matches the option set. Rajasthan was historically a major mica producer, though production has declined because of environmental regulations and synthetic substitutes. Therefore, the district trio that identifies the mica belt is Bhilwara, Udaipur and Rajsamand.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur do not match the mica-belt grouping; the belt is in Bhilwara, Udaipur and Rajsamand instead.
- (B) Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur are desert districts, while the mica belt is tied to the Aravalli-region districts of Bhilwara, Udaipur and Rajsamand.
- (D) Kota, Bundi and Baran belong to the Hadoti region and are not the districts identified for Rajasthan's mica belt.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's mineral geography, especially the district-wise location of non-metallic minerals. Such questions recur in RAS because mineral belts link physical geography with the state's economy.