NEW Prelims Cracker 2027 ⚡️ Starts July 1st 📞 Call Now: 9211591415 ★                      ★ NEW GS Foundation 2027 ⚡️ Just Started ⬇️ Download Brochure 📞 Call Now: 9211591415 ★                      ★ PMF IAS Impact 🎯 53 Direct Hits in Prelims 2025 and 🎯 46 Direct Hits in Prelims 2026 ★

Consider the following statements:

  1. Natural gas occurs in the Gondwana beds.
  2. Mica occurs in abundance in Kodarma.
  3. Dharwars are famous for petroleum.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
  1. 1 and 2
  2. 2 only
  3. 2 and 3
  4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect
  • Gondwana beds are known for coal deposits and Natural gas is typically found in marine sedimentary rocks.

Additional Information

  • Around 98% of India’s coal reserves and 99% of coal production are from Gondwana fields.
  • Because of its much younger age, the carbon content in Gondwana coal (250 million years old) is less than that of carboniferous coal (350 million years old—almost absent in India).
  • Gondwana coal is free from moisture, but it contains sulphur and phosphorus.
  • Coking, as well as non-coking coal and bituminous coal, are obtained from Gondwana coal fields. EG-MR – 20
  • Anthracite is generally not found in the Gondwana coal fields.
  • The Damuda series (i.e. Lower Gondwana) hosts the most productive coalfields (80% of India’s total coal production.
Statement 2 is correct
  • Kodarma, in Jharkhand, has rich mica deposits. It’s a major source of mica, particularly muscovite.
  • Major mica-bearing pegmatites occur in states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
Statement 3 is incorrect
  • The Dharwar craton in Karnataka, India, is known for its mineral resources like iron ore and gold, not petroleum.
Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Hard
,