Which position did Madhya Pradesh hold in copper production in India during the year 2021 – 22 ?
- (a)Fourth
- (b)Second
- (c)First
- (d)Third
Correct — C, First. In 2021-22, Madhya Pradesh was India's leading producer of copper, contributing over half the country's copper ore output — almost entirely from the Malanjkhand Copper Project in Balaghat district (operated by Hindustan Copper Limited), one of Asia's largest open-cast copper mines.
- (a)Fourth — Wrong rank — Madhya Pradesh was not a marginal producer near the bottom of the list; it led the country.
- (b)Second — Wrong rank — MP topped the national list in 2021-22, it did not trail behind another state.
- (d)Third — Wrong rank — MP was not a mid-table producer; its Malanjkhand deposit alone accounts for the bulk of India's economically workable copper ore.
Copper mining in India is heavily concentrated because economically workable ore is rare — Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), a central PSU, operates almost all of the country's copper mines, and its Malanjkhand Copper Project in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, is the single largest source. This concentration is why one state can dominate the national copper-output ranking.
The trap is assuming copper follows the same state ranking as more familiar minerals like iron ore or coal (where Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand usually lead) — copper is a much smaller, more concentrated basket, dominated by MP because of the sheer scale of the Malanjkhand deposit.
- Madhya Pradesh was India's leading copper-producing state in 2021-22.
- Malanjkhand Copper Project (Balaghat district) is one of Asia's largest open-cast copper mines.
- Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), a central PSU, operates Malanjkhand and most of India's copper mining.
- Rajasthan and Jharkhand are other notable copper-producing states, both behind MP.
- Assuming copper ranking mirrors iron-ore/coal rankings, where different states lead
- Confusing Balaghat's copper fame with its also-significant manganese output
MPPSC frequently asks 'MP's rank in production of mineral X in year Y' — pin the mineral to its specific mine/district rather than a general 'MP is mineral-rich' impression.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Malanjkhand Copper Project, one of Asia's largest open-cast copper mines, is located in which district of Madhya Pradesh?
- (a)Balaghat
- (b)Betul
- (c)Barwani
- (d)Burhanpur
Answer(a) Balaghat — site of the Malanjkhand Copper Project.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which public sector undertaking operates the Malanjkhand copper mine in Madhya Pradesh?
- (a)Coal India Limited
- (b)Hindustan Copper Limited
- (c)NMDC
- (d)SAIL
Answer(b) Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL).