Key Points

A mineral is a natural substance of organic or inorganic origin with definite chemical and physical properties. They are unevenly distributed, exhaustible, and have an inverse relationship between quality and quantity.

Minerals are grouped into metallic and non-metallic. Metallic minerals are further divided into ferrous (containing iron, like iron ore) and non-ferrous (lacking iron, like copper and bauxite).

Most metallic minerals are found in the old crystalline rocks of the peninsular plateau. The vast alluvial plains of north India are mostly devoid of economic minerals.

This belt covers Chhotanagpur (Jharkhand), Odisha, West Bengal, and parts of Chhattisgarh. It is rich in iron ore, coal, manganese, bauxite, and mica, making it the heart of India's iron and steel industry.

This belt extends over Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. It is rich in ferrous metals like high-grade iron ore and manganese, but lacks significant coal deposits, except for Neyveli lignite.

This belt runs along the Aravali in Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is known for non-ferrous metals like copper and zinc, building stones like marble, and petroleum deposits in Gujarat.

India has Asia's largest iron ore reserves, mainly haematite and magnetite. About 95 percent of reserves are in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Goa.

Manganese is a key raw material for smelting iron. Major deposits are associated with the Dharwar system, with Odisha and Madhya Pradesh being the leading producers.

Bauxite, the ore for aluminum, is primarily found in Odisha. Copper deposits are mainly concentrated in Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), and Jhunjhunu and Alwar (Rajasthan).

Mica is vital for electrical industries. High-quality mica is found in a belt in Jharkhand (Hazaribagh plateau), Nellore district (Andhra Pradesh), and from Jaipur to Bhilwara in Rajasthan.

Energy resources are classified as conventional and non-conventional. Conventional sources like coal and petroleum are exhaustible, while non-conventional sources like solar and wind are renewable.

About 80 percent of India's coal is bituminous grade, found in Gondwana rock sequences. The most important coalfields are in the Damodar Valley, including Jharia (largest) and Raniganj.

Petroleum is found in tertiary sedimentary rocks. Major oilfields are Digboi (Assam), Ankaleshwar (Gujarat), and Mumbai High (offshore). Natural gas reserves are often found with petroleum, mainly in Mumbai High and the Cambay basin.

These are sustainable and environment-friendly resources like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass. They are considered the future of energy for sustainable development.

Nuclear energy is generated using uranium and thorium. Uranium is found in the Singbhum Copper belt, while the world's richest monazite sands (source of thorium) are on the Kerala coast.

Important nuclear power projects in India include Tarapur (Maharashtra), Rawatbhata (Rajasthan), Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu), Narora (Uttar Pradesh), Kaiga (Karnataka), and Kakarapara (Gujarat).

The western parts of India, particularly Gujarat and Rajasthan, have immense potential for developing solar energy. Favorable conditions for wind energy exist in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

Sustainable development requires conserving exhaustible minerals. This can be achieved by using alternative energy sources, recycling metals like copper and zinc, and using substitutes for scarce minerals.