Prelims 2022 · Geography · Question 28
With reference to India, consider the following statements: 1. Monazite is a source of rare earths. 2. Monazite contains thorium. 3. Monazite occurs naturally in the entire Indian coastal sands in India. 4. In India, Government bodies only can process or export monazite. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer
1, 2 and 4 only
1. Monazite is a source of rare earths. — Correct. Monazite is a phosphate mineral rich in rare earth elements, especially cerium, lanthanum and neodymium.
2. Monazite contains thorium. — Correct. Indian monazite is well known for its thorium content, which is why it is strategically regulated.
3. Monazite occurs naturally in the entire Indian coastal sands in India. — Incorrect. It occurs in some beach/coastal sand deposits, notably along parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, not the entire Indian coast.
4. In India, Government bodies only can process or export monazite. — Correct. Because monazite is a prescribed substance under atomic energy-related regulation, its processing/export is restricted to government-authorized bodies.
Hence, statements 1, 2 and 4 only are correct.