MPPSC 2022 Prelims Paper-I · Question 54 of 100

Correct — B is the statement that is NOT correct. Odisha and Jharkhand are genuinely India's two leading iron-ore States, but claiming they ALONE hold about 80% of the national total overstates their combined share — that magnitude is reached only once Chhattisgarh and Karnataka are counted alongside them. The direction of the claim (Odisha/Jharkhand lead) is right; the scale (80% from just these two) is exaggerated, which is what makes the statement incorrect.

• (a)Our country has mainly haematite and magnetite reserves of iron ore. — This statement IS correct — India's iron ore occurs mainly as haematite and magnetite, so picking it as 'not correct' would be wrong.
• (c)Bellary is a major mining area of iron ore in Karnataka. — This statement IS correct — the Bellary-Hospet belt in Karnataka is a well-known iron-ore mining area, so picking it as 'not correct' would be wrong.
• (d)Mayurbhanj district has a significant place in Odisha in terms of iron ore. — This statement IS correct — Mayurbhanj (e.g. the Gurumahisani and Badampahar mines) is a major iron-ore-bearing district of Odisha, so picking it as 'not correct' would be wrong.

India's iron ore is concentrated in the Odisha-Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh-Karnataka belt, occurring mainly as haematite and magnetite. Odisha (districts such as Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Keonjhar) and Jharkhand are the largest reserve-holding States, but the commonly cited ~80% share of national reserves is reached only when Chhattisgarh and Karnataka are added to Odisha and Jharkhand — not from these two States alone.

MPPSC 'which statement is NOT correct' questions on minerals usually keep the DIRECTION of each fact right (the named places and States genuinely matter) but distort a NUMBER or SCOPE — here, inflating a multi-State share onto just two States. Read percentage and scope claims carefully rather than only checking whether the named places are real.

• India's iron ore occurs mainly as haematite and magnetite.
• Odisha and Jharkhand are leading iron-ore States, but their combined share alone is not about 80% of the national total — that figure is reached only once Chhattisgarh and Karnataka are included too.
• Bellary (Karnataka) is a well-known iron-ore mining belt (the Bellary-Hospet belt).
• Mayurbhanj is a significant iron-ore-bearing district of Odisha.

• Treating an inflated percentage claim as automatically true just because the named States are genuinely the leaders
• Confusing haematite (India's main ore, chiefly Odisha/Jharkhand/Chhattisgarh) with magnetite (also found, e.g. Karnataka's Kudremukh)

MPPSC/UPSC test iron ore via 'which statement is/are correct/not correct', matching mining towns to States (Bellary, Mayurbhanj, Kudremukh), or comparing States' iron-ore reserve/production rankings.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Kudremukh iron-ore mines, known for magnetite deposits, are located in which State?

  • (a)Odisha
  • (b)Karnataka
  • (c)Chhattisgarh
  • (d)Jharkhand

  Answer(b) Karnataka — the Kudremukh mines are a well-known magnetite source.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which of the following districts is a major iron-ore-bearing district of Odisha?

  • (a)Mayurbhanj
  • (b)Ganjam
  • (c)Puri
  • (d)Balasore

  Answer(a) Mayurbhanj — home to well-known iron-ore mines such as Gurumahisani and Badampahar.