SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 12 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 14 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Which statement best reflects the role of non-metallic minerals in India?

(a)India lacks enough reserves for industrial use.
(b)Mostly used as gems, with minimal industrial use.
(c)India has rich reserves vital for major industries.
(d)Only metallic minerals drive industrial growth.

Answer

Why

Correct — C. NCERT's minerals chapter says India is fortunate to have fairly rich and varied mineral resources, and that peninsular rocks hold most of its reserves of mica and many other non-metallic minerals.

Those minerals feed major industries. Mica is indispensable in electric and electronic industries, and limestone is the basic raw material for cement and essential for smelting iron ore in the blast furnace.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
India lacks enough reserves for industrial use. — Reserves are not the shortfall NCERT describes. It places most of India's mica and other non-metallic reserves in peninsular rocks. The minerals it calls "not very satisfactory" are non-ferrous metals such as copper and zinc.
(b)
Mostly used as gems, with minimal industrial use. — Mica and limestone are industrial inputs, not gems. Mica goes into electric and electronic goods for its insulating strength, and limestone into cement and blast-furnace iron smelting.
(d)
Only metallic minerals drive industrial growth. — Steel-making itself needs a non-metallic mineral. Limestone is essential for smelting iron ore in the blast furnace, and it is also the basic raw material of the cement industry.

Concept

NCERT's Class 10 minerals chapter (Fig. 5.1) sorts minerals into three groups: metallic (ferrous, non-ferrous, precious), non-metallic and energy minerals.

Its non-metallic examples are mica, salt, potash, sulphur, granite, limestone, marble and sandstone.

Mica splits into very thin sheets and has excellent dielectric strength, which is why the electrical industry depends on it. Limestone occurs in sedimentary rocks of most geological formations.

The stem asks which statement best reflects the picture, and the keyed one is the broad view NCERT gives. It is not a claim that India is self-sufficient in every non-metallic mineral.

Key facts

NCERT classifies minerals as metallic, non-metallic and energy minerals, with mica, salt, potash, sulphur, granite, limestone, marble and sandstone as its non-metallic examples.
Mica is used in electric and electronic industries for its dielectric strength, low power loss and resistance to high voltage.
Limestone is the basic raw material for the cement industry and is essential for smelting iron ore in the blast furnace.
NCERT calls India's reserves and production of non-ferrous minerals such as copper, lead and zinc "not very satisfactory".

Study next

Ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metallic minerals, and where India is shortMica belts of India: Koderma–Gaya–Hazaribagh, Ajmer and NelloreRaw materials of the cement and iron-and-steel industries

Common traps

Filing limestone with the metals because it goes into steel-making — it is a non-metallic mineral used as an input.
Carrying India's shortage of non-ferrous metals like copper over to non-metallic minerals.

The metallic side of the same NCERT classification is asked at 14 Sep 2025, 12:30, GA Q.13, which wants the non-ferrous metallic minerals that are scarce in India (copper, zinc, lead).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Geography — all 135 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.