Which of the following two States of India have more than 50 percent of the total country's coal reserves?
(i) Jharkhand (ii) Madhya Pradesh (iii) Odisha (iv) Chhattisgarh

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — B, (i) and (iii): Jharkhand and Odisha. These are India's two largest coal-bearing states by geological reserves — Jharkhand's coalfields (Jharia, Bokaro, North Karanpura) hold the single largest share of the country's coal reserves, and Odisha's coalfields (Talcher, IB Valley) hold the next-largest share. Together, Jharkhand and Odisha account for just over half of India's total coal reserves — more than any other two-state combination, including pairings with Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Madhya Pradesh (Singrauli coalfield) is a genuine coal-reserve state, but its share trails well behind Odisha's — pairing it with Jharkhand does not reach the combined reserve share of Jharkhand and Odisha.  (c) Chhattisgarh (Korba coalfield) holds substantial coal reserves, but less than Jharkhand — this pairing leaves out Jharkhand, the single largest reserve-holding state, understating the true top pairing.  (d) Pairs Odisha, correctly one of the top two, with Madhya Pradesh instead of Jharkhand — Jharkhand's reserve share exceeds Madhya Pradesh's by a wide margin.

Concept: India's coal reserves are concentrated in the Gondwana coalfields of the Chota Nagpur Plateau belt, spanning Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. Jharkhand and Odisha are consistently the two largest states by geological coal reserves, together holding just over half of the country's total.

State PCS 2024 Q72 — Geography PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2024 Q72 — Geography PYQ with Answer