The most important resources of lignite in Rajasthan are located at
- (1)Palana, Agucha and Merta
- (2)Palana, Kasnau and Jagpura
- (3)Kapurdi, Merta and Kasnau
- (4)Kapurdi, Palana and Jagpura
Answer
Why
Correct — option (3), Kapurdi, Merta and Kasnau.
Rajasthan's lignite lies in Tertiary rocks of middle Eocene age in the western sedimentary basins. The Department of Mines and Geology (DMG) estimates about 5,720 million tonnes of lignite in 78 localities of Barmer, Bikaner, Nagaur, Jaisalmer and Jalore districts.
All three places in Kapurdi, Merta and Kasnau are lignite localities. Kapurdi is in Barmer, where lignite is mined at Kapurdi–Jalipa. Kasnau is part of the Mata Sukh–Kasnau–Igiyar mining area of Nagaur, and Merta Road, a town of Nagaur district, names a lignite block (Merta Road & Meeranagar) in DMG's Nagaur and Pali group.
Palana, in Bikaner, is a lignite locality too. But each option that names Palana also names a place known for another mineral: Agucha (Rampura–Agucha) is lead-zinc, and Jagpura is gold.
Check every place in an option; one place with the wrong mineral spoils the option. Only option (3) holds three lignite localities.
Why the others are wrong
- (1)Palana, Agucha and Merta — Palana (Bikaner) and Merta Road (Nagaur) are lignite localities, but Agucha is not.
Agucha refers to Rampura–Agucha in Bhilwara district, which DMG lists among Rajasthan's important lead-zinc-silver deposits. Bhilwara is not one of the districts where DMG records lignite.
- (2)Palana, Kasnau and Jagpura — Palana and Kasnau are lignite localities, but Jagpura is not.
Jagpura is part of the Bhukia–Jagpura–Delwara gold belt of Banswara, which DMG credits with 105.81 million tonnes of the state's 118.88 million tonnes of gold ore resources. It lies in the south, far from the western lignite basins.
- (4)Kapurdi, Palana and Jagpura — Kapurdi (Barmer) and Palana (Bikaner) are both lignite localities with lignite-based power plants nearby, but Jagpura spoils the set.
Jagpura belongs to the Bhukia–Jagpura gold belt in Banswara district. Two lignite names out of three do not make this the right group.
Concept
Lignite, or brown coal, is a low-rank coal with high moisture and a lower carbon content than bituminous coal. It is generally burnt close to where it is mined, to generate electricity.
Rajasthan's lignite formed in Tertiary times (middle Eocene) and lies in the Barmer–Sanchore, Jaisalmer and Nagaur basins, which extend into Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Nagaur and Jalore districts. These are young sedimentary basins of the west, unlike the old Aravalli rocks that hold the state's metallic ores.
DMG lists lignite mining at Giral and Kapurdi–Jalipa (Barmer), Palana–Barsinghsar (Bikaner) and Mata Sukh–Kasnau–Igiyar (Nagaur).
RPSC's 2024 Prelims syllabus lists "Minerals- Metallic & Non-Metallic" and "Power Resources- Conventional & Non-Conventional" under the Geography of Rajasthan. Lignite sits in both heads, as a mineral and as fuel for power plants.
Rajasthan's mineral map splits in two. The old rocks of the Aravalli region hold metallic ores such as lead-zinc and gold; the young sedimentary basins of the west hold lignite, oil and gas. Placing a locality on the right side of that divide points towards its mineral.
Mining areas often carry two or three village names. Rampura–Agucha is one lead-zinc deposit, and DMG's lignite table lists Merta Road together with Meeranagar.
Key facts
- Rajasthan's lignite occurs in middle Eocene (Tertiary) rocks of the Barmer–Sanchore, Jaisalmer and Nagaur basins.
- DMG estimates about 5,720 million tonnes of lignite resources in 78 localities of Barmer, Bikaner, Nagaur, Jaisalmer and Jalore districts.
- Lignite is mined at Giral and Kapurdi–Jalipa (Barmer), Palana–Barsinghsar (Bikaner) and Mata Sukh–Kasnau–Igiyar (Nagaur).
- DMG lists lignite-based power plants at Kapurdi–Jalipa and Giral (Barmer) and at Palana–Barsinghsar and Gurha (Bikaner).
- The Bhukia–Jagpura–Delwara belt of Banswara holds 105.81 million tonnes of Rajasthan's 118.88 million tonnes of gold ore resources.
Options (1), (2) and (4) each include one non-lignite place. Source: Department of Mines and Geology, Rajasthan.
Study next
Common traps
- Palana is a genuine lignite locality, yet each option naming it also names a non-lignite place. One correct name does not make an option correct.
- "Agucha" is short for Rampura–Agucha in Bhilwara, a lead-zinc-silver deposit. A shortened place name can hide which mineral it belongs to.
- Lignite belongs to the young sedimentary basins of the west. Neither Banswara nor Bhilwara is among the districts where DMG records lignite.
A question can give groups of localities and ask which group holds one mineral, as this one does, or match mines with minerals and ask for the wrong pair.
A question can also ask what type of coal Rajasthan has, or where its lignite-based power plants stand.
Related PYQs
UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2016 and 2013 here once those papers are published on this site.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following is a lead-zinc deposit of Rajasthan ?
- (a)Kapurdi
- (b)Rampura–Agucha
- (c)Palana
- (d)Giral
Answer(2) — Rampura–Agucha in Bhilwara is a lead-zinc-silver deposit. Option (1), Kapurdi, and option (4), Giral, are lignite localities of Barmer. Option (3), Palana, is a lignite locality of Bikaner. - practice — not a real PYQ
In which district of Rajasthan is the Bhukia–Jagpura gold belt located ?
- (a)Banswara
- (b)Bhilwara
- (c)Barmer
- (d)Nagaur
Answer(1) — The Bhukia–Jagpura–Delwara gold belt is in Banswara. Option (2), Bhilwara, holds the Rampura–Agucha lead-zinc deposit. Option (3), Barmer, holds lignite at Kapurdi and Giral. Option (4), Nagaur, holds lignite at Kasnau–Igiyar.