A mineral is a naturally occurring substance of organic and inorganic origin that has a definite chemical composition and physical properties. Minerals are an indispensable part of our lives, as almost everything we use, from a pin to a towering building, is made of minerals or is produced with their help. Minerals are the basic inputs for industries, and the distribution, availability and use of minerals determine the industrial development of a country. This chapter studies the classification of minerals, their distribution in India, the energy resources, and the need for their conservation.
Energy is a critical resource for development. The energy resources are classified into conventional and non-conventional sources of energy. The conventional sources include firewood, coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity, both hydro and thermal. The non-conventional sources include solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas and nuclear energy. The chapter discusses the importance of each source, its distribution in India, and the growing emphasis on non-conventional energy for sustainable development.
For the board examination, students must learn the classification of minerals, the major minerals of India and their producing regions, the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous minerals, the conventional and non-conventional energy sources, and the measures for the conservation of minerals and energy. Map-based questions on the distribution of minerals and energy resources are very important and frequently asked.
Minerals occur in different forms in different types of rocks. Minerals in igneous and metamorphic rocks occur as veins and lodes, which are formed when the minerals are carried into the cracks and crevices of the rocks by the magma or the hydrothermal liquids. Minerals like tin, copper, zinc and lead are found in such veins and lodes. In sedimentary rocks, minerals occur in beds or layers, formed by the accumulation, deposition and concentration of minerals, such as coal and some forms of iron ore.
The minerals in the sedimentary rocks also include gypsum, potash salt and sodium salt, and the minerals like manganese and limestone. The sands of the ocean beds and the beaches contain minerals such as monazite, which is rich in thorium and uranium. Minerals can also occur as alluvial deposits in the sand of the river beds, such as gold, silver and platinum. The oceanic waters also contain vast quantities of minerals, though most of them are too diffuse to be extracted economically.
On the basis of composition, minerals are classified into metallic and non-metallic minerals. The metallic minerals contain metal in raw form, and they are of two types: ferrous minerals, which contain iron, such as iron ore, manganese and chromite, and non-ferrous minerals, which do not contain iron, such as copper, bauxite, lead and zinc. Precious minerals like gold, silver and platinum are also metallic minerals. The non-metallic minerals do not contain metals, such as limestone, mica, gypsum, coal and petroleum, and they are used in many industries.
India has significant mineral resources, but their distribution is uneven. The mineral resources of India are mainly found in the Peninsular plateau region, which has the oldest and most stable rock formations. The Chhotanagpur plateau is a major mineral belt, rich in iron ore, coal, manganese, bauxite and mica. The states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Goa have significant deposits of iron ore and other minerals.
The major iron ore belts in India include the Odisha-Jharkhand belt, with rich high-grade haematite ore in the Badampahar mines in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and the Gua mines in Jharkhand. The Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt lies in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, and it is very important for the iron ore in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. The Bellary-Chitradurga-Chikmagalur-Tumkur belt in Karnataka has large deposits of iron ore, and the Maharashtra-Goa belt includes the state of Goa.
Manganese is found in the iron ore belts of India, mainly in Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Bauxite, the ore of aluminium, is found mainly in the Amarkantak plateau, the Maikal hills and the plateau region of Bilaspur-Katni in Madhya Pradesh, and in Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. Mica, a non-metallic mineral, is found in the northern edge of the Chhotanagpur plateau, in Jharkhand, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, and it is used in the electrical and electronic industries.
Iron ore is the backbone of the industrial development of India, as it is the basic input for the iron and steel industry. The haematite and magnetite are the most important iron ores, with the haematite ore containing about 60 to 70 per cent of iron. India has large deposits of iron ore, mainly in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. The Bailadila hills of Chhattisgarh have some of the richest iron ore deposits, which are exported to Japan and other countries.
Manganese is used for manufacturing steel, and it is also used in making bleaching powder, insecticides and paints. The major manganese producing states are Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Bauxite is the ore from which aluminium is extracted, and aluminium is a lightweight but strong metal, used in the aircraft and automobile industries, and in the manufacture of electrical goods. The major bauxite producing states are Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
Copper is a good conductor of electricity, and it is used in the electrical and the electronics industries. The major copper producing states are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand. Limestone, a non-metallic mineral, is used in the cement industry, the iron and steel industry, and in the manufacture of fertilizers. Mica is used in the electrical and the electronics industries, and India is the leading producer of sheet mica. The distribution of these minerals, their uses and their producing regions are important for the map-based and descriptive questions.
Energy resources are essential for development, and they are broadly classified into conventional and non-conventional sources. The conventional sources of energy are those that have been in use for a long time, and they include firewood, cattle dung cake, coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity, both thermal and hydroelectric. Coal is the most important conventional energy resource in India, and it is used as a fuel in the thermal power plants and the iron and steel industry. The coal in India is found mainly in the Gondwana coalfields, such as in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, and the tertiary coalfields in the northeast.
Petroleum, also known as mineral oil, is the next major energy source, and it is the source of fuels such as petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG, and of raw materials for many industries. The petroleum in India is found mainly in the oil fields of Assam, Gujarat, and Mumbai High in the Arabian Sea, and the refineries are located in various parts of the country. Natural gas, which is found along with petroleum, is used as a fuel and as a raw material for the petrochemical industry, and the Krishna-Godavari basin and Mumbai High are important sources.
Electricity is the most important form of energy, and it is generated mainly from thermal, hydroelectric and nuclear sources. Thermal electricity is generated by burning coal, petroleum and natural gas, and it is the largest source of electricity in India. Hydroelectricity is generated from the potential energy of flowing water, and the major hydroelectric projects in India are on rivers such as the Bhakra-Nangal, Damodar Valley and other river projects. Firewood and cattle dung cake are the primary sources of energy in rural India, but their use causes deforestation and pollution.
The non-conventional sources of energy are the newer sources that are being developed, and they include solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy, geothermal energy, biogas and nuclear energy. These sources are renewable and cause less pollution, and their development is essential for sustainable development. Solar energy is the ultimate source of energy, and it can be used for the generation of electricity, heating, cooking and drying; the solar energy in India is abundant, especially in Rajasthan, and India is among the leading countries in the development of solar energy technology.
Wind energy is used to generate electricity through windmills, and the wind farms in India are located mainly in the coastal regions, especially in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Tidal energy is generated from the tides of the sea, and geothermal energy is generated from the heat of the interior of the earth. Biogas is produced from the decomposition of organic waste, such as cattle dung and plant waste, and it is an excellent source of energy for the rural areas, providing clean fuel and manure. Nuclear energy is produced from the fission of atoms of minerals such as uranium and thorium, and the nuclear power plants in India use uranium from the Jaduguda mines in Jharkhand.
The development of non-conventional energy is important for several reasons: it reduces the dependence on fossil fuels, which are depleting, it reduces pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases, it provides energy to the remote and rural areas, and it helps in the sustainable development of the country. India has set up a separate ministry, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, to promote the non-conventional sources of energy.
The conservation of minerals is necessary because the minerals are non-renewable resources, and their extraction is costly and difficult. The minerals can be conserved by reducing wastage in mining and processing, by the recycling of metals such as aluminium, copper and iron, and by the use of substitutes. The mining of minerals also causes environmental damage, such as the degradation of land, the pollution of water and air, and the loss of forests, and these environmental costs must be minimised.
Energy conservation is equally important, as the conventional sources of energy are depleting, and their use causes pollution. Energy can be conserved by the use of energy-efficient devices, such as LED bulbs and efficient appliances, by the improvement in the efficiency of the power generation and transmission, by the use of public transport instead of private vehicles, and by the promotion of non-conventional sources of energy. The adoption of these measures is essential for the sustainable development of the country.
The chapter stresses the need for a judicious use of minerals and energy resources. The principle of 'reduce, reuse and recycle' is important in this context. The students are expected to appreciate that the conservation of minerals and energy is not only a matter of resource management but also a matter of environmental protection and of the well-being of the future generations.
| Mineral | Type | Major Producing States |
|---|---|---|
| Iron ore (haematite, magnetite) | Metallic, ferrous | Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra |
| Manganese | Metallic, ferrous | Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh |
| Bauxite (aluminium ore) | Metallic, non-ferrous | Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra |
| Copper | Metallic, non-ferrous | Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand |
| Mica | Non-metallic | Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh |
| Limestone | Non-metallic | Used in cement and iron and steel industry |
| Energy Source | Type | Major Sources/Locations in India |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | Conventional | Gondwana coalfields (Jharkhand, Odisha, W.B., Chhattisgarh, M.P.) |
| Petroleum | Conventional | Assam, Gujarat, Mumbai High |
| Natural gas | Conventional | Krishna-Godavari basin, Mumbai High |
| Hydroelectricity | Conventional | Bhakra-Nangal, Damodar Valley and other river projects |
| Solar energy | Non-conventional | Abundant in Rajasthan |
| Wind energy | Non-conventional | Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka (coastal) |
| Nuclear energy | Non-conventional | Uranium from Jaduguda mines (Jharkhand) |
Minerals and energy are the basic inputs of modern industrial civilisation, and India is fortunate to be endowed with a rich variety of mineral and energy resources. The peninsular plateau, especially the Chhotanagpur plateau, holds vast deposits of iron ore, manganese, bauxite, copper, mica and coal, which have supported the growth of industries and the generation of power. However, minerals are non-renewable, and their extraction is both costly and environmentally damaging, while the conventional sources of energy are depleting and polluting. The chapter therefore emphasises the urgent need for conservation, through the reduction of wastage, the recycling of metals and energy, and the promotion of non-conventional sources such as solar, wind and biogas energy. The judicious use of our mineral and energy resources, guided by the principle of sustainability, is essential for the development and the environmental security of the nation.