Aspirant Academy

Geography

Predicted Questions with Model Answers

Natural Resources of India: Water, Vegetation, Soil, Minerals, Power

Paper II · Unit 3 Section 9 of 11 0 PYQs 29 min
Topic Preview Subject Inventory

Public Section Preview

Predicted Questions with Model Answers

Q1 (5 marks — 50 words): Describe the main characteristics of Tropical Evergreen Forests of India. (PYQ 2021 type)

Model Answer:

Tropical Evergreen Forests require >200 cm (2,000 mm) annual rainfall and occur in the Western Ghats (Kerala, Karnataka, Goa), NE India (Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal), and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Characteristics: dense multi-layered canopy (30–60 m); trees retain leaves throughout the year; exceptionally high biodiversity (>40% of India's plant species); key species include rosewood, ebony, bamboo, and iron wood. Silent Valley (Kerala) is a UNESCO-protected pristine rainforest site.

Q2 (5 marks — 50 words): Name the major bauxite mining areas of India. (PYQ 2023 type)

Model Answer:

India has the world's 5th largest bauxite reserves (~3.5 billion tonnes) and is the 5th largest producer. Major mining areas: (1) Odisha — Panchpat Mali (Kalahandi), Koraput (largest reserves; NALCO operations); (2) Andhra Pradesh — Visakhapatnam district; (3) Gujarat — Jamnagar district; (4) Maharashtra — Kolhapur, Ratnagiri; (5) Jharkhand — Lohardaga district. Odisha accounts for ~50% of India's bauxite production.

Q3 (5 marks — 50 words): Compare alluvial soil and black soil in terms of origin, characteristics, and crops.

Model Answer:

Alluvial soil: River-deposited sediment; Ganga-Indus plains; rich in potash and lime; neutral pH; ideal for wheat, rice, sugarcane. Black/Regur soil: Formed from Deccan Trap basalt weathering; Maharashtra, MP, Gujarat; high clay (montmorillonite); self-ploughing (deep cracks when dry); retains moisture; rich in iron and magnesia; deficient in phosphorus/nitrogen; ideal for cotton, soybean, jowar. Alluvial covers ~43% of cultivated land; Black ~15%.

Q4 (5 marks — 50 words): What is India's renewable energy status? State any three achievements.

Model Answer:

As of March 2024, India has ~195 GW of renewable energy capacity (solar ~82 GW, wind ~45 GW, hydro ~47 GW). Three achievements: (1) World's 3rd largest solar capacity; Bhadla Solar Park (Rajasthan) is world's largest (2,245 MW); (2) India co-founded International Solar Alliance (ISA) with France at Paris 2015 — 121 nations; (3) COP26 commitment: 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 — on track ahead of schedule.

Q5 (10 marks — 150 words): Discuss India's major forest types, their location, and importance. What are the threats to India's forests?

Model Answer:

India's forests cover 24.62% of its total area (8,09,537 sq km — FSI 2021) — below the National Forest Policy 1988 target of 33%. India has five major forest types, each shaped by its climate and physiography:

1. Tropical Evergreen Forests (>200 cm rain): Western Ghats (Kerala, Karnataka), NE India, Andaman & Nicobar. Multi-layered canopy; extreme biodiversity; key species: rosewood, ebony, iron wood. Harbours over 40% of India's plant species. India's ecological "hotspots" (Western Ghats and Indo-Burma).

2. Tropical Moist Deciduous (75–200 cm rain): Largest forest type; eastern slopes of Ghats, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, MP. Key species: sal (Shorea robusta) in east, teak (Tectona grandis) in central-western India. Commercial timber production; bamboo resources.

3. Tropical Dry Deciduous (50–75 cm rain): Interior peninsular India; UP, Bihar. Teak, sandalwood. Moderate timber value; heavy human dependence.

4. Tropical Thorny/Scrub (<75 cm rain): Western Rajasthan, Gujarat, interior AP. Khejri, babool, ber. Fuelwood, fodder; desertification-prone region.

5. Mangrove/Tidal Forests (coastal deltas): Sundarbans (4,260 sq km), Bhitarkanika (Odisha), Krishna-Godavari (AP). Natural cyclone barriers; fisheries nurseries; carbon sequestration; tiger habitat.

Importance of forests: Carbon sinks (1 ha forest absorbs ~2.5 tonnes CO₂/year); watershed protection (maintain river flow); biodiversity conservation (India is 17th mega-biodiverse country); tribal livelihoods (100+ million tribal people depend on forests — PVTG communities); soil conservation; climate regulation.

Threats to India's forests:

  1. Deforestation: Mining (Gondwana belt), infrastructure projects (railways, highways), hydropower projects (NE India, Himalayan rivers)
  2. Encroachment: Agricultural expansion into forest margins; housing
  3. Forest fires: Uttarakhand (chir pine forests — annual fires), NE India
  4. Invasive species: Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora invading native forests
  5. Climate change: Shifting tree line, reduced snowpack affecting montane forests
  6. Policy conflicts: Forest Rights Act (2006) vs conservation; tribal land rights vs tiger reserve management

Q6 (10 marks — 150 words): Describe the distribution of coal and petroleum resources in India.

Model Answer:

Coal — India's Energy Backbone:

India has ~344 billion tonnes of coal reserves (world's 4th largest) and is the world's 2nd largest coal producer (~900 MT/year). Over 90% is bituminous type from Gondwana formations (Carboniferous–Jurassic period, ~250–130 Ma).

Major coalfields:

  • Damodar Valley (Jharkhand/WB): Jharia (India's richest; best coking coal — ~20 BT), Raniganj (India's oldest mining; 1774), Bokaro, Dhanbad. Critical for steel plants (Tata Steel, SAIL).
  • Mahanadi Basin (Odisha): Talcher (second largest deposit; ~50 BT), Ib Valley (open-cast; Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd)
  • Godavari Valley (Telangana): Singareni collieries — major thermal coal supply for South India
  • Wardha Valley (Maharashtra): Yavatmal, Chandrapur districts
  • Jharkhand (others): Rajmahal (eastern coalfields), Karanpura

India also has lignite (Tertiary coal) at Neyveli (Tamil Nadu) — 3.5 BT; mined by Neyveli Lignite Corporation; powers TN's thermal plants.

Petroleum — Import-Dependent:

India produces only ~14–15 MT crude oil per year (declining) against consumption of ~250 MT — imports ~85%. Key domestic fields:

  • Bombay High (Mumbai offshore, Arabian Sea): Discovered 1974; peak in 1990s; now declining (~5.5 MT/year); ONGC-operated; still ~40% of domestic output
  • Assam fields (Digboi — Asia's oldest oil field, 1889; Duliajan, Nahorkatiya): Operated by OIL India Ltd; ~3% of domestic output
  • Rajasthan (Barmer-Sanchore Basin): Mangala, Aishwariya, Raageshwari fields (Cairn India/Vedanta); ~19–20% of domestic production — major growth area
  • KG Basin (Andhra Pradesh, deep water): KG-D6 block (Reliance-BP); gas-rich; major gas production; crude output has declined
  • Cauvery Basin (TN) and Gujarat (Cambay Basin): Smaller production

Policy context: ONGC and Oil India dominate; OALP (Open Acreage Licensing Policy) introduced 2018 to attract private/foreign investment in exploration; India's first offshore FPSO (Floating Production Storage Offloading) vessel deployed at Heera field (Bombay High area).