PREVIOUS YEAR

GEOGRAPHY
QUESTIONS-X
MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES

VERY ASWER TYPE QUESTIONS (1 Mark)

1. Name the best variety of iron-ore found in India. [All India 2017]
Ans. The best variety of iron-ore found in India is Magnetite.
2. Why are there a wide range of colours, hardness, crystal forms, lustre and density
found in minerals? [CBSE 2016]
Ans. The ranges found in minerals are due to physical and chemical conditions.
3. Name the minerals formed in beds and layers. [CBSE 2016]
Ans. Coal, and some forms of iron ore.
4. What is hematite? [CBSE 2015]
Ans. Hematite ore is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of the quantity used.
5. Why should the use of cattle cake as fuel be discouraged? [All India 2015]
Ans. The use of cattle cake as fuel should be discouraged because it creates pollution. It
consumes most valuable manure which could be used in agriculture.
6. How power resources are classified? [CBSE 2012]
Ans. Power resources may be broadly categorised into conventional and non-conventional
resources.
7. Which is the oldest oil producing state of India? [CBSE 2011]
Ans. Assam.
8. Which state of India is the largest producer of Bauxite? [All India 2010]
Ans. Odisha is the largest producer of Bauxite in India.
9. Name the most abundantly available fossil fuel in India. [All India 2010]
Ans. Coal is the most abundantly available fossil fuel in India.
10. What is biogas energy? [CBSE 2009]
Ans. Bio gas is produced from shrubs, farm waste, animal and human wastes.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (3 Marks)

11. ―Minerals are unevenly distributed in India.‖ Support the statement with
examples. [All India 2017]
Ans. Following are the examples to support the statement that mineral resources in India
are unevenly distributed.
(a) Peninsular rocks contain most of the reserves of coal, metallic minerals, mica and
many other non-metallic minerals.
(b) Sedimentary rocks on the western and eastern flanks of the peninsula in Gujarat
and Assam have most of the petroleum deposits.
(c) The vast alluvial plains of North India are almost devoid of minerals. These
variations exist largely due to differences in the geological structure processes
and time involved in the formation of minerals.
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 PREVIOUS YEAR
GEOGRAPHY
QUESTIONS-X
(d) Rajasthan, with the rock systems of the peninsula, has reserves of many non-
ferrous minerals. (any three)

12. Consumption of energy in all forms has been rising all over the country. There is
an urgent need to develop a sustainable path of energy development and energy
saving‘. Suggest and explain any three measures to solve this burning
problem. [All India 2016]
Ans. The following are the measures to solve this burning problem.
(a) We should use public transport instead of personal vehicles as much as possible.
(b) We should switch off electricity when not in use.
(c) We should switch to power-saving devices.
(d) We should keep our power equipment well maintained.
(e) Above all. use of non-conventional sources of energy would be of great help in
overcoming the problem. (any three)

13. How is the mining activity injurious to the health of the miners and environment?
Explain. [Delhi 2015]
Ans. Mining activity is injurious to the health of miners due to the following reasons.
(a) Inhalation of poisonous gases and dust make them vulnerable to pulmonary
diseases.
(b) The risk of collapse of mine roofs may risk the life of miners.
(c) Inundation and fires in coalmines are a constant threat to the miners.
The following points show how mining affects the environment.
(a) It results in contamination of water.
(b) Dumping of waste and slurry leads to degradation of land and soil.
(c) It results in air and water pollution.

14. Differentiate between metallic and non-metallic minerals with examples. [Delhi 2013]
Ans. The difference between metallic and non-metallic minerals are:
Metallic minerals Non-metallic minerals
(a) Minerals from which metals are (a) Minerals consisting of non-metals are
extracted are called metallic called non-metallic minerals.
minerals.
(b) These minerals are malleable and (b) These minerals are neither malleable
ductile. nor ductile.
(c) These minerals are associated with (c) Non-metallic minerals are associated
igneous and mctamorphic rocks. with sedimentary rocks.
(d) They arc usually hard and have (d) They are not so hard and have no
shine or luster of their own. shine or luster of their own.
(e) For example, iron, copper, bauxite, (e) For example, coal, salt, clay etc.
tin, manganese etc.
(any three
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GEOGRAPHY
QUESTIONS-X
15. Mention any three major iron-ore belts in India. Write any three characteristics of the
southermost iron-ore belt. [Delhi 2012]
Ans. The three major iron-ore belts in India are:
(а) Orissa-Jharkhand belt.
(b) Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt
(c) Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru-T\imakuru belt
(d) Maharashtra-Goa belt
The three characteristics of the southern-most belt, Ballari-Chitradurga-
Chikkamagaluru-Tumakuru belt, are as follows.
(a) It has large reserves of iron ore.
(b) The Khudremukh mines, located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, are a
hundred per cent export unit.
(c) Khudremukh deposits are one of the largest mines in the world.

16. ‗We have to adopt a cautious approach for the judicious use of our limited energy
resources.‘ Support the statement with three examples. [Foreign 2012]
Ans. We have to adopt a cautious approach for the judicious use of our limited energy
resources because of the following reasons.
(a) They are non-renewable, once consumed we will not be able to get them
back.
(b) Energy is required for all our activities—to cook, to provide light and heat, to
drive vehicles and machinery, so, it should be used judiciously.
(c) Keeping in mind the needs of our future generation, we have to adopt the policy
of sustainable development.

17. How is energy an indispensible requirement of our modern life? Explain with three
examples. [Delhi 2011]
Ans. Energy is an indispensible requirement of our modern life. The following points
explain the statement.
(a) Energy isneededforall activities like to provide heat and light, to drive machinery
and to cook.
(b) Every sector of the national economy like agriculture, industry, transport,
communication, etc. requires energy to operate.
(c) All the developmental plans require energy to remain operational. With the time,
consumption of energy has been on steady rise, which again makes it a
necessary requirement for our day-to-day life.
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 PREVIOUS YEAR
GEOGRAPHY
QUESTIONS-X
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (5 Marks)

18. Why is it necessary to conserve mineral resources? Explain any four ways to
conserve mineral resources. [All India 2017]
Ans. Minerals are required in all spheres of our life in agriculture, industries and for
domestic purposes. We are rapidly consuming the mineral resources that required
millions of years to be formed and concentrated. The geological processes of mineral
formation are so slow that the rates of replenishment are infinitely small in
comparison to the present rates of consumption. They are finite resources that are
non-renewable, yet are getting exhausted due to rapid exploitation. Continued
extraction brings down their quality as well as increases costs of extraction. To save
these valuable resources from exhaustion and to preserve them for future
generations we should conserve our mineral resources.
The following are the ways of conserving mineral resources:
(а) Causing minimum wastage of minerals during the process of mining and
processing of minerals.
(b) Improved technologies to utilize low-grade ores at low cost.
(c) Using minerals in a planned manner by adopting the policy of recycle and reuse.
Recycling of metals, using scrap metals and other substitutes to reduce
exploitation of the present deposits.
(d) Looking for some other eco-friendly options for its replacement like CNG.

19. How is energy a basic requirement for the economic development of the country?
Explain with examples. [All India 2013]
Ans. Energy is a basic requirement for the economic development of a country in the
following ways.
(a) Every sector of the national economy – agriculture, industry, transport,
commercial and domestic – needs inputs of energy.
(b) The economic development plans implemented since independence require
increasing amounts of energy to remain operational.
(c) Energy is used for all activities. To provide light and heat, to propel vehicles and
drive machinery in industries.
(d) For example, coal provides a large percentage of energy for country‘s economic
needs, supply energy to industries as well as for domestic use.
(e) Also, natural gas is an important clean energy resource found in association with
petroleum. It is used as a source of energy as an industrial raw material in petro-
chemical industry.
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 PREVIOUS YEAR
GEOGRAPHY
QUESTIONS-X
20. On the given outline map of India locate and label the following with appropriate
symbols.
(i) Ankaleshwar – Oil Fields [Delhi 2016]
(ii) Digboi – Oil Fields [All India 2016]
(iii) Kalpakkam – Nuclear power plant [Delhi 2019, 13; Foreign 2016]
(iv) Namrup –Thermal power plant [Foreign 2014]
(v) Narora – Nuclear power plant [Delhi 2017(C), All India 2017, 14, 12]
(vi) Kakrapara – Nuclear power plant [Foreign 2012]
Ans.

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