RAS question
Which description correctly identifies Tamda in Rajasthan's mineral resources?
Correct answer: (A) A red-pink transparent precious stone for which Rajasthan is noted as dominant..
Tamda in Rajasthan's mineral resources is a precious garnet-type stone found as a red or pink transparent stone, with Rajasthan noted for dominance in its production.
Explanation
Tamda belongs to the precious-stone section of the Rajasthan minerals page, not to ordinary industrial minerals. Its other names are Rakt Mani and Garnet, and it is a precious stone obtained as a red or pink transparent stone. Tamda occurs in two varieties, gem and abrasive, with the gem variety found more in the state. This makes option A correct. The neighbouring entries help avoid confusion: Panna is treated separately as emerald, with the Devgarh-Kankroli belt under its producing areas; dolomite is listed as a different mineral with a Banswara-Udaipur-Rajsamand distribution; and steatite belongs to a separate mineral category rather than the Tamda gem entry.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) The Devgarh-Kankroli belt belongs to the Panna or emerald entry, while Tamda is identified separately as Rakt Mani or Garnet.
- (C) Steatite is a separate mineral category, while Tamda is a precious red or pink transparent stone.
- (D) Banswara, Udaipur and Rajsamand are part of the dolomite distribution, whereas Tamda belongs to a separate precious-stone entry.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan geography through mineral-resource terminology, where local mineral names are often mapped to standard categories. RAS repeats such items because confusing similar entries like Panna, Tamda, steatite and dolomite is a common source of wrong answers.