Geography2022
With reference to India, consider the following statements:
- Monazite is a source of rare earths.
- Monazite contains thorium.
- Monazite occurs naturally in the entire Indian coastal
- In India, government bodies only can process or export
monazite. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
The correct option is 1, 2, and 4 only. Monazite is indeed a source of rare earth elements and contains thorium, making it significant for both energy and technology sectors. However, statement 3 is incorrect because monazite is not uniformly found along the entire Indian coastline; it is primarily located in specific beach sand deposits, primarily in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Furthermore, the regulation surrounding monazite in India, which mandates that only government bodies can process or export it, underscores the strategic importance of this mineral and ensures proper governance of radioactive materials.
