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Q6 (IAS/2023) Geography › Indian Economic Geography › Mineral resource distribution Official Key

Ilmenite and rutile, abundantly available in certain coastal tracts of India, are rich sources of which one of the following?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

Ilmenite and rutile are Ti-oxide minerals (titanium-oxide minerals)[1], making them rich sources of titanium. Coastal sands that are rich in ilmenite and rutile are commonly associated with a hinterland composed of high-grade metamorphic rocks[2], which explains their abundant availability in certain coastal tracts of India. These minerals are specifically valued for their titanium content and are classified as heavy minerals used in titanium extraction. India has significant reserves of these minerals along its coastal areas, particularly in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha. The other options—aluminium, copper, and iron—while important industrial metals, are not the primary elements extracted from ilmenite and rutile. Therefore, option D (Titanium) is the correct answer.

Sources
  1. [1] https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5070/l/pdf/sir2010-5070l.pdf
  2. [2] https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5070/l/pdf/sir2010-5070l.pdf
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Ilmenite and rutile, abundantly available in certain coastal tracts of India, are rich sources of which one of the following? [A] Alumin…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10

This is a classic Economic Geography question derived from the 'Beach Sand Minerals' (BSM) complex. While standard NCERTs focus heavily on Monazite (Thorium), Ilmenite is its constant geological companion. If you study India's strategic minerals or the India Year Book (IYB) chapter on Industry/Resources, this is a direct hit.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Which chemical element is extracted from ilmenite and rutile, minerals abundantly found in certain coastal tracts of India?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Igneous rocks considered as probable sources of heavy minerals are particularly those enriched in Ti-oxide minerals, such as ilmenite and rutile (Force, 1991)."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly identifies ilmenite and rutile as titanium-bearing oxide minerals (Ti-oxide).
  • Directly ties ilmenite and rutile to titanium mineralogy, implying they are sources of titanium.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"partitioning of titanium between silicate and oxide phases also depends on variables of rock composition... Coastal sands that are rich in ilmenite and rutile are commonly associ­ ated with a hinterland composed of high-grade metamorphic rocks."
Why this source?
  • Discusses titanium in the same context as ilmenite and rutile in coastal sands.
  • States that coastal sands rich in ilmenite and rutile are associated with titanium-bearing source rocks, linking these minerals to titanium.
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"The products from this stage can include HM, zircon, rutile, ilmenite or other concentrates."
Why this source?
  • Lists rutile and ilmenite among products/concentrates in the context of titanium mineral processing.
  • Shows these minerals occur in the concentrated heavy-mineral products associated with titanium minerals.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 7: Resources > Mineral Belts of India > p. 3
Strength: 5/5
“• S.No.: 3; Name of the Belt: The Southern Belt; Region: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.; Minerals Found: Gold, iron ore, chromite, manganese, lignite, mica, bauxite, gypsum, asbestos, dolomite, ilmenite, china-clay, and limestone; Features: • S.No.: 4; Name of the Belt: The Western Belt; Region: Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.; Minerals Found: Non-ferrous metals like copper, lead, zinc, uranium, mica, manganese, salt, asbestos, building stonnes, precious stonnes, mineral oil, and natural gas.; Features: • S.No.: 5; Name of the Belt: The South Western Belt; Region: Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala; Minerals Found: Iron ore, ilmenite, zircon, monazite sands, garnet, china clay, bauxite, mica, limestone, and soapstone.; Features: • S.No.: 6; Name of the Belt: The Himalayan Belt; Region: ; Minerals Found: ; Features: • S.No.: 7; Name of the Belt: The Indian Ocean; Region: Continental shelf of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal; Minerals Found: Mineral oil and natural gas, seabed also contains high grade nodules (at depth of 4000 m) of manganese, phosphate, barium, aluminium, silicon, iron, titanium, sodium, potassium, chromium, monazite, ilmenite, magnetite, and garnet; Features: The following (Table 7.2) provides the details on production and value in crores for the various minerals in India.”
Why relevant

Lists ilmenite as a mineral found in coastal/southern belts and also names 'titanium' among elements in the continental shelf/seabed.

How to extend

A student can combine this with the common-knowledge fact that ilmenite/rutile are titanium-bearing minerals to suspect titanium is the element extracted.

Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > 3.4 OCCURRENCE OF METALS > p. 49
Strength: 4/5
“The earth's crust is the major source of metals. Seawater also contains some soluble salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, etc. The elements or compounds, which occur naturally in the earth's crust, are known as minerals. At some places, minerals contain a very high percentage of a particular metal and the metal can be profitably extracted from it. These minerals are called ores.”
Why relevant

Explains that some minerals (ores) contain a very high percentage of a particular metal and that such metals can be profitably extracted.

How to extend

Use this rule to infer that if ilmenite/rutile are rich in a metal, that metal (from coastal deposits) would be the target of extraction.

INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Mineral and Energy Resources > Nuclear Energy Resources > p. 61
Strength: 3/5
“Nuclear energy has emerged as a viable source in recent times. Important minerals used for the generation of nuclear energy are uranium and thorium. Uranium deposits occur in the Dharwar rocks. Geographically, uranium ores are known to occur in several locations along the Singbhum Copper belt. It is also found in Udaipur, Alwar and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan, Durg district of Chhattisgarh, Bhandara district of Maharashtra and Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Thorium is mainly obtained from monazite and ilmenite in the beach sands along the coast of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. World's richest monazite deposits occur in Palakkad and Kollam districts of Kerala, near Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mahanadi river delta in Odisha.”
Why relevant

States that thorium is obtained from monazite and ilmenite in beach sands, showing ilmenite occurs in coastal sands and is a source of extractable elements.

How to extend

Combine this pattern (beach sands → extractable elements from minerals like ilmenite) with the outside fact that ilmenite/rutile bear titanium to focus on titanium extraction as plausible.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 7: Resources > Natural Resources of India > p. 30
Strength: 3/5
“Thorium is derived from monazite. It is produced in Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan. In addition to uranium and thorium, beryllium and lithium are also the atomic minerals found mainly in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Salt is used mainly in chemical industry. Common salt (sodium chloride) is used as a food item. Salt is obtained from sea water, brine springs and salt pans in lakes. The main producers of salt are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan. Gujarat coast accounts for about 50% of the total salt production of India. Sambhar lake of Rajasthan contributes about 10% of the total salt production of the country.”
Why relevant

Notes thorium is derived from monazite and that coastal/peninsular sands contain monazite and ilmenite, indicating coastal sands as sources of atomic/metallic elements.

How to extend

A student can generalize that coastal mineral sands (monazite, ilmenite, rutile) are mined for specific elements and therefore look up which element is associated with ilmenite/rutile (titanium).

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 7: Resources > MINERAL RESOURCES > p. 1
Strength: 2/5
“A mineral is an aggregate of two or more than two elements. A mineral has a definite chemical composition, atomic structure and is formed by inorganic processes. In economic geography, the term mineral is used for any naturally occurring material that is mined and is of economic value. Minerals generally occur in the earth's crust in the form of ore. It is extracted, processed, and utilised for the economic benefits of society. The availability and per capita consumption of minerals is taken as an important indicator to assess the economic development of a country. India is fairly rich in mineral resources but their distribution is highly uneven.”
Why relevant

Defines minerals and ores and explains that minerals are mined and processed for economic use, framing why identifying the metal in ilmenite/rutile matters.

How to extend

Use this definition plus basic external chemistry/geology to check which metal is present in ilmenite/rutile and thus extracted from coastal tracts.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC is shifting focus from 'Bulk Minerals' (Iron, Coal, Bauxite) to 'Strategic/Critical Minerals' (Titanium, Lithium, Cobalt, Rare Earths). Any mineral crucial for Aerospace, Defense, or Green Energy is now a high-probability static topic.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. This is a standard fact found in Majid Husain, India Year Book, and even implied in NCERT Class XII (Nuclear Resources chapter).
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: 'Mineral Resources of India' → specifically the sub-topic of 'Atomic and Beach Sand Minerals' found in Peninsular coastal tracts.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'BSM Suite' (Beach Sand Minerals): Ilmenite/Rutile/Leucoxene (Titanium); Monazite (Thorium, Rare Earths); Zircon (Zirconium/Ceramics); Garnet (Abrasives); Sillimanite (Refractories). Key locations: Chavara (Kerala), Manavalakurichi (TN), Chatrapur (Odisha).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: The 'Association Rule'. When NCERT mentions Monazite sands for Thorium, you must ask: 'What else is in that sand?' Ilmenite is the volume driver of those same mines. Never study a mineral deposit in isolation; study the 'ore complex'.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Beach-sand minerals as sources of atomic minerals
💡 The insight

Beach sands containing monazite and ilmenite are sources of thorium and other atomic minerals.

High-yield for questions on nuclear energy resources and coastal mineral extraction; links mineral occurrence to energy policy and strategic resource mapping. Mastery enables answering distribution and resource-security questions about atomic minerals.

📚 Reading List :
  • INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Mineral and Energy Resources > Nuclear Energy Resources > p. 61
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 7: Resources > Natural Resources of India > p. 30
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 7: Resources > Mineral Belts of India > p. 3
🔗 Anchor: "Which chemical element is extracted from ilmenite and rutile, minerals abundantl..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Ilmenite as a coastal heavy mineral associated with monazite
💡 The insight

Ilmenite commonly occurs with monazite and other heavy minerals in southern coastal belts and continental shelf deposits.

Useful for questions on mineral belts, beach-sand mining and regional mineral economies; connects physical geography (coastal deposits) with economic geography (mineral extraction).

📚 Reading List :
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 7: Resources > Mineral Belts of India > p. 3
  • INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Mineral and Energy Resources > Nuclear Energy Resources > p. 61
🔗 Anchor: "Which chemical element is extracted from ilmenite and rutile, minerals abundantl..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 State-wise concentration of coastal mineral deposits
💡 The insight

Southern and certain eastern coastal tracts (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha) host rich beach-sand deposits including ilmenite and monazite.

Crucial for mapping mineral resources to states and for answering location-based UPSC questions on resource distribution, regional development and industrial potential.

📚 Reading List :
  • INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Mineral and Energy Resources > Nuclear Energy Resources > p. 61
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 7: Resources > Mineral Belts of India > p. 3
🔗 Anchor: "Which chemical element is extracted from ilmenite and rutile, minerals abundantl..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

Zircon. It is the next logical question from the same coastal sand deposits. Zircon is the source of Zirconium (used in nuclear fuel cladding) and is also mined by IREL alongside Ilmenite.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Use 'Geological Context'. Aluminium comes from Bauxite (Laterite plateaus, not sands). Copper comes from sulphide veins (Singhbhum/Khetri, hard rock). Iron is Hematite/Magnetite (Dharwar craton, inland hills). Ilmenite/Rutile are 'Heavy Minerals' found in placer deposits (sands). Among the options, Titanium is the only 'specialty' metal that fits the profile of a heavy mineral sand concentrate.

🔗 Mains Connection

Link Geography to **Defense Technology (GS-3)**. Titanium is the 'Strategic Metal' of the 21st century, essential for aerospace (fighter jets), missiles, and naval ships due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. India's coastal Ilmenite is a strategic asset for self-reliance in defense.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2022 · Q78 Relevance score: -1.60

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 ?

IAS · 2010 · Q46 Relevance score: -3.18

With reference to the mineral resources of India, consider the following pairs: Mineral 90% Natural sources in 1. Copper Jharkhand 2. Nickel Orissa 3. Tungsten Kerala Which of the pairs give above is/are correctly matched?

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Which one of the following soil types of India is rendered infertile by the presence of excess iron ?

IAS · 2006 · Q4 Relevance score: -4.77

Which of the following substances are found in the beach sands of many parts of Kerala? I. Ilmenite II. Zircon III. Sillimanite IV. Tungsten Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

CAPF · 2013 · Q45 Relevance score: -5.24

Which one among the following is not correct regarding the black soils of Peninsular India?