With reference to India, consider the following statements:

1. Monazite is a source of rare earths.
2. Monazite contains thorium.
3. Monazite occurs naturally in the entire Indian coastal sands in India.
4. In India, Government bodies only can process or export monazite.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 1, 2 and 4 only
3. 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• In India, monazite has been the principal source of rare earths. It occurs in association with other heavy minerals, such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon, etc., in the beach sands and inland placer deposits.

Statement 2 is correct

• It also contains thorium and uranium.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Although India possesses large deposits of monazite (not in the entire coastal sands), the heavier rare earths are not present in sufficient quantities in this mineral.
• Monazite is found in the coastal tracts of Cuttack and Ganjam districts of Orissa. In Andhra Pradesh, thick ilmenite and monazite placers are found around Vishakapatnam and Bhimunipatnam. The beach sands in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are also very rich in monazite. Approximately 7.23 million tonne Rare Earth Oxides (REO) Equivalent contained in 13.15 million tonne monazite resource, occurring in the coastal beach and teri / red sand in parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat and in the inland alluvium in parts of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Statement 4 is correct

• Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL), a wholly owned Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India (GOI) under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is the only entity which has been permitted to produce and process monazite, and handle it for domestic use as well as for export.

Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4 only; Difficulty Level: Easy