<h5 id="types-of-mineral-resources">Types of Mineral Resources</h5> <ul> <li>Minerals can be grouped into two main categories: metallic and non-metallic.</li> <li>Metallic minerals, such as iron ore, copper, and gold, are sources of metals. They are further divided into ferrous (with iron content, e.g., iron ore) and non-ferrous (without iron content, e.g., copper, bauxite) metallic minerals.</li> <li>Non-metallic minerals can be organic (e.g., fossil fuels or mineral fuels like coal and petroleum) or inorganic (e.g., mica, limestone, and graphite) in origin.</li> <li>Minerals have the following characteristics: <ul> <li>Uneven distribution in space</li> <li>Inverse relationship between quality and quantity</li> <li>Exhaustibility over time, requiring conservation and prevention of misuse</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>(Note: There are 5 bullet points as requested. The figure is not included since it is not necessary to understand the summary.)</p> <p>======</p> <h5 id="distribution-of-minerals-in-india">Distribution of Minerals in India</h5> <ul> <li>Metallic minerals in India are primarily found in the peninsular plateau region, in old crystalline rocks.</li> <li>Over 97% of coal reserves are located in the valleys of Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi, and Godavari.</li> <li>Petroleum reserves are situated in the sedimentary basins of Assam, Gujarat, and the Mumbai High off-shore region in the Arabian Sea, with new reserves found in the Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins.</li> <li>Major mineral resources are generally concentrated in three broad belts in India.</li> <li>These belts occur mainly to the east of a line linking Mangaluru and Kanpur, with some sporadic occurrences in isolated pockets.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="the-north-eastern-plateau-region">The North-Eastern Plateau Region</h5> <ul> <li>The North-Eastern Plateau Region covers Chhotanagpur in Jharkhand, Odisha Plateau, parts of West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh.</li> <li>This region is rich in minerals, including: <ul> <li>Iron ore: Mainly found in Chhotanagpur, Jharkhand, and Odisha.</li> <li>Coal: Extracted in Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.</li> <li>Manganese: Predominantly found in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.</li> <li>Bauxite: Major reserves are in Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.</li> <li>Mica: Major deposits are in Jharkhand.</li> </ul> </li> <li>The availability of these minerals has led to the establishment of major iron and steel industries in this region.</li> <li>The specific regions where these minerals are being extracted are Chhotanagpur (Jharkhand), Odisha Plateau, and parts of Chhattisgarh.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="the-south-western-plateau-region">The South-Western Plateau Region</h5> <ul> <li>The South-Western Plateau Region covers Karnataka, Goa, and parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.</li> <li>This region is rich in ferrous metals, bauxite, and high-grade iron ore.</li> <li>It also contains manganese and limestone, but lacks in coal deposits except for Neyveli lignite.</li> <li>Kerala has deposits of monazite, thorium, and bauxite clay, while Goa has iron ore deposits.</li> <li>This belt does not have as diversified mineral deposits as the North-Eastern belt.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="the-north-western-region">The North-Western Region</h5> <ul> <li>The North-Western region, extending along the Aravali in Rajasthan and part of Gujarat, is associated with minerals from the Dharwar system of rocks. Major minerals include copper and zinc.</li> <li>Rajasthan is rich in building stones such as sandstone, granite, and marble, as well as gypsum, Fuller’s earth, dolomite, and limestone deposits, which are raw materials for the cement industry.</li> <li>Gujarat is known for its petroleum deposits and is also a rich source of salt, like Rajasthan.</li> <li>The Himalayan belt is a mineral belt where copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, and tungsten are found on both the eastern and western parts.</li> <li>The Assam valley has mineral oil deposits, and oil resources are also found in off-shore areas near the Mumbai Coast (Mumbai High).</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="ferrous-mineral">Ferrous Mineral</h5> <ul> <li>Ferrous minerals, such as iron ore and manganese, are essential for metallurgical industries.</li> <li>India has the largest reserve of iron ore in Asia, with major mines in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.</li> <li>Manganese, an essential raw material for smelting iron ore, is mainly associated with the Dharwar system and is predominantly found in Odisha and Karnataka.</li> <li>Manganese mines in Maharashtra, although significant, are located far from steel plants, creating a logistical challenge.</li> <li>Other minor producers of manganese include Telangana, Goa, and Jharkhand. Goa has also emerged as an important producer of iron ore.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="non-ferrous-minerals">Non-Ferrous Minerals</h5> <ul> <li>Bauxite, the primary ore used in aluminum manufacturing, is found in significant quantities in India, particularly in Odisha, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.</li> <li>Copper, a vital metal in the electrical industry and jewelry making, is mainly found in Jharkhand (Singhbhum district), Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat district), and Rajasthan (Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts).</li> <li>Other notable producers of copper include Andhra Pradesh (Agnigundala, Guntur District), Karnataka (Chitradurg and Hasan districts), and Tamil Nadu (South Arcot district).</li> <li>Bauxite deposits are associated with laterite rock formations in peninsular India, coastal tracts, and plateaus, with Odisha being the largest producer.</li> <li>Copper deposits are also found in minor quantities in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="non-metallic-minerals">Non-metallic Minerals</h5> <ul> <li>Mica is the most important non-metallic mineral produced in India.</li> <li>It is mainly used in the electrical and electronic industries due to its unique properties of being flexible and heat resistant.</li> <li>Major mica producing states in India are Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.</li> <li>High-quality mica is obtained in a belt extending over a distance of about 150 km in lower Hazaribagh plateau of Jharkhand.</li> <li>Mica deposits also occur in Mysuru and Hassan districts of Karnataka, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, and Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu, Alleppey in Kerala, Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Purulia and Bankura in West Bengal.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="energy-resources">Energy Resources</h5> <ul> <li>Energy resources can be categorized into conventional and non-conventional sources. Conventional sources, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas, are exhaustible fossil fuels.</li> <li>Coal is primarily used in thermal power generation and iron ore smelting. India’s major coal fields are located in the Damodar Valley, with the largest being Jharia, followed by Raniganj. Tertiary coals are found in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Jammu and Kashmir.</li> <li>Petroleum, referred to as liquid gold, is used in internal combustion engines for automobiles, railways, and aircraft. It consists of hydrocarbons and has numerous by-products, including fertilizers, synthetic rubber, and medicines. Crude oil is refined in two types of refineries in India: field-based and market-based.</li> <li>Natural gas is found with petroleum deposits and can be used as a domestic and industrial fuel, as well as in power generation, heating, chemical industries, and as a transport fuel (CNG) and cooking fuel (PNG). Major gas reserves are in the Mumbai High and Cambay basin along the west coast, and new reserves have been discovered in the Krishna-Godavari basin along the east coast.</li> <li>GAIL (India) has laid cross-country natural gas pipelines under ‘One Nation One Grid’ to expand gas infrastructure and local city gas distribution networks.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="non-conventional-energy-sources">Non-Conventional Energy Sources</h5> <ul> <li>Non-conventional energy sources are sustainable and environment-friendly, including solar, wind, hydrogeothermal, and biomass.</li> <li>Nuclear energy is a viable source with uranium and thorium as important minerals. Uranium is found in various locations in India, and thorium is mainly obtained from monazite and ilmenite in beach sands along the coast of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.</li> <li>Solar energy can be converted into energy using photovoltaic cells. Solar thermal technology is cost-competitive, environment-friendly, and easy to construct, with greater potential in Gujarat and Rajasthan, India.</li> <li>Wind energy, an inexhaustible source, converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. India has favorable conditions for wind energy generation in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.</li> <li>Tidal and wave energy have potential along India’s west coast, while geothermal energy can be tapped from magma and used for electrical and thermal energy generation. India has commissioned a geothermal energy plant in Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh.</li> <li>Bio-energy, derived from biological products, can be converted into electrical energy, heat energy, or gas for cooking. It also processes waste and garbage, improving economic life in rural areas, reducing environmental pollution, and enhancing self-reliance.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="conservation-of-mineral-resources">Conservation of Mineral Resources</h5> <ul> <li>Sustainable development aims to integrate economic growth with environmental protection.</li> <li>Traditional resource use generates large amounts of waste and environmental problems, requiring resource conservation for future generations.</li> <li>Alternative energy sources (solar, wind, wave, geothermal) are inexhaustible and should be developed to replace exhaustible resources.</li> <li>For metallic minerals, recycling scrap metals and using substitutes for scarce metals can reduce consumption; this is particularly important for metals like copper, lead, and zinc, where India’s reserves are meager.</li> <li>Export of strategic and scarce minerals should be reduced to extend the lifespan of existing reserves.</li> </ul> <p>======</p>