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Resources & Industry — UPSC Prelims Geography previous year questions
20 free solved previous year questions on Resources & Industry, papers from 1999 to 2026, drawn from UPSC CSE Prelims, State PCS, covering statement-based, direct, match and assertion questions. Every answer key has been checked again against published sources and solved independently, and each explanation is written fresh.
Read all 20 questions with answers
- #1UPSC CSE 2026Which of the following statements about Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Critical Minerals is/are correct ?1. Modern technological innovations including Artificial Intelligence, robotics and space exploration extensively utilise Rare Earth Elements (REEs).2. China has the highest share in mining of REEs followed by India.3. The Government of India launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in 2025 to establish a robust framework for self-reliance in the critical mineral sector.4. Rare Earth Elements are a set of 13 metallic elements.Select the answer using the code given below :
- A1 and 3 only
- B3 only
- C1, 3 and 4
- D1, 2 and 4
Answer: (A) 1 and 3 onlyExplanation
Statement 1 is correct. Rare Earth Elements are used in AI hardware, robotics, space systems and other modern technology.
Statement 2 is wrong. China leads in mining REEs, but India is not second.
Statement 3 is correct. India launched the National Critical Mineral Mission in 2025 to gain self-reliance in critical minerals.
Statement 4 is wrong. Rare Earth Elements are a group of 17 elements, not 13.
So 1 and 3 only.
Remember: the 17 elements are the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium.Source: Ministry of Mines, National Critical Mineral Mission; USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (rare earths); IUPAC
- #2UPSC CSE 2025Consider the following statements:Statement I: Of the two major ethanol producers in the world, i.e., Brazil and the United States of America, the former produces more ethanol than the latter.Statement II: Unlike in the United States of America where corn is the principal feedstock for ethanol production, sugarcane is the principal feedstock for ethanol production in Brazil.Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- ABoth Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
- BBoth Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
- CStatement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
- DStatement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
Answer: (D) Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correctExplanation
Statement I is incorrect. The United States is the largest ethanol producer. Brazil is second. So Brazil does not produce more.
Statement II is correct. The United States mainly uses corn. Brazil mainly uses sugarcane.
So only Statement II is correct. Option (d) fits.
Options (a), (b) and (c) fail because each accepts Statement I.
Remember: India's ethanol blending programme uses sugarcane juice, molasses and grains.Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration and Renewable Fuels Association data on global ethanol; Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (Ethanol Blended Petrol)
- #3UPSC CSE 2025Consider the following pairs:Country – Resource-rich inI. Botswana : DiamondII. Chile : LithiumIII. Indonesia : NickelIn how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
- AOnly one
- BOnly two
- CAll the three
- DNone
Answer: (C) All the threeExplanation
All three rows are correctly matched.
Botswana is rich in diamonds. It is among the top producers in the world.
Chile is rich in lithium. It holds some of the world's largest reserves.
Indonesia is rich in nickel. It is the world's largest nickel producer.
So the answer is all three.
Remember: The 'lithium triangle' covers Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.Source: NCERT Class XII Fundamentals of Human Geography, Ch. 5-6 (Mining); U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries
- #4UPSC CSE 2023Consider the following statements:Statement-I: India, despite having Uranium deposits, depends on coal for most of its electricity production.Statement-II: Uranium, enriched to the extent of at least 60%, is required for the production of electricity.Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- ABoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
- BBoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
- CStatement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.
- DStatement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.
Answer: (C) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.Explanation
Statement-I is correct. Coal-based plants supply most of India's electricity, while nuclear power gives only a small share.
Statement-II is incorrect. Reactors use uranium enriched to about 3 to 5 per cent. India's PHWRs even use natural uranium.
Uranium enriched to 60 per cent or more is not needed for power.
Remember: weapon-grade uranium needs enrichment of about 90 per cent.Source: Department of Atomic Energy; World Nuclear Association country profile (India)
- #5UPSC CSE 2023Consider the following pairs:1. Kamarajar Port : First major port in India registered as a company2. Mundra Port : Largest privately owned port in India3. Visakhapatnam Port : Largest container port in IndiaHow many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- AOnly one pair
- BOnly two pairs
- CAll three pairs
- DNone of the pairs
Answer: (B) Only two pairsExplanation
Pair 1 is correct. Kamarajar (Ennore) Port was the first major port to be set up as a company.
Pair 2 is correct. Mundra is the largest private port in India.
Pair 3 is incorrect. The largest container port is Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva), not Visakhapatnam.
So two pairs are correct.
Remember: Mundra, run by Adani Ports, handles the largest cargo volume among Indian ports.Source: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Kamarajar Port Limited
- #6UPSC CSE 2023Ilmenite and rutile, abundantly available in certain coastal tracts of India, are rich sources of which one of the following?
- AAluminium
- BCopper
- CIron
- DTitanium
Answer: (D) TitaniumExplanation
Ilmenite is iron titanium oxide. Rutile is titanium dioxide.
Both are the main ores of titanium.
They occur in beach sands of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Aluminium comes from bauxite, copper from chalcopyrite, and iron from haematite and magnetite.
Remember: monazite in the same sands gives thorium.Source: Geological Survey of India / Indian Bureau of Mines, Minerals Yearbook
- #7UPSC CSE 2023With reference to India's projects on connectivity, consider the following statements:1. East-West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat.2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar.3. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China.How many of the above statements are correct?
- AOnly one
- BOnly two
- CAll three
- DNone
Answer: (D) NoneExplanation
Statement 1 is incorrect. The East-West Corridor connects Silchar in Assam with Porbandar in Gujarat. It is also not part of the Golden Quadrilateral.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur with Mae Sot in Thailand through Myanmar.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The BCIM corridor connects Kolkata with Kunming, not Varanasi.
So none is correct.
Remember: the Golden Quadrilateral joins Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.Source: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (NHAI); Ministry of External Affairs on Trilateral Highway
- #8UPSC CSE 2022With 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?
- A1, 2 and 3 only
- B1, 2 and 4 only
- C3 and 4 only
- D1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (B) 1, 2 and 4 onlyExplanation
Statement 1 is correct. Monazite is a phosphate mineral rich in rare earth elements.
Statement 2 is correct. It contains thorium, which is a nuclear fuel.
Statement 3 is incorrect. It occurs only in certain beach sands, such as in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, not all coasts.
Statement 4 is correct. Monazite is a prescribed substance under atomic energy law, so only government bodies can process or export it.
Remember: IREL is the government company that handles beach sand minerals.Source: Atomic Energy Act 1962; Department of Atomic Energy; IREL (India) Limited
- #9UPSC CSE 2022Consider the following statements:1. Gujarat has the largest solar park in India.2. Kerala has a fully solar powered International Airport.3. Goa has the largest floating solar photovoltaic project in India.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Al and 2
- B2 only
- C1 and 3
- D3 only
Answer: (B) 2 onlyExplanation
Statement 1 is incorrect. The largest solar park is Bhadla in Rajasthan, not in Gujarat.
Statement 2 is correct. Cochin International Airport in Kerala runs fully on solar power.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The largest floating solar project at the time was at Ramagundam in Telangana, not Goa.
Remember: Cochin is the first airport in the world to be fully solar powered.Source: UPSC CSE Prelims 2022 question(key: 2 only); MNRE and CIAL facts
- #10UPSC CSE 2019With reference to the management of minor minerals in India, consider the following statements:1. Sand is a 'minor mineral' according to the prevailing law in the country.2. State Governments have the power to grant mining leases of minor minerals, but the powers regarding the formation of rules related to the grant of minor minerals lie with the Central Government.3. State Government have the power to frame rules to prevent illegal mining of minor minerals.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A1 and 3 only
- B2 and 3 only
- C3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Answer: (A) 1 and 3 onlyExplanation
Statement 1 is correct. Sand is a minor mineral under Section 3(e) of the MMDR Act, 1957.
Statement 2 is incorrect. States both grant leases and frame the rules for minor minerals under Section 15.
Statement 3 is correct. Section 23C allows States to make rules to prevent illegal mining, transport and storage of minerals.
Remember: the Centre frames rules for major minerals; States frame rules for minor minerals.Source: Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957, ss. 3(e), 15, 23C
- #11UPSC CSE 2018Consider the following statements:1. In India, State Governments do not have the power to auction non-coal mines.2. Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand do not have gold mines.3. Rajasthan has iron ore mines.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A1 and 2 only
- B2 only
- C1 and 3 only
- D3 only
Answer: (D) 3 onlyExplanation
Statement 1 is incorrect. Under the MMDR Act, as amended in 2015, State Governments auction non-coal mines.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Andhra Pradesh (Ramagiri) and Jharkhand have gold occurrences and mines.
Statement 3 is correct. Rajasthan has iron ore deposits, for example in Jaipur, Bhilwara and Udaipur districts.
Remember: Karnataka is the leading gold producer.Source: Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957; Indian Bureau of Mines
- #12UPSC CSE 2016In which of the following regions of India are shale gas resources found?1. Cambay Basin2. Cauvery Basin3. Krishna-Godavari BasinSelect the correct answer using the code given below.
- A1 and 2 only
- B3 only
- C2 and 3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3Explanation
India has identified shale gas potential in several sedimentary basins. These include the Cambay, Krishna-Godavari, Cauvery, Assam-Arakan, Indo-Gangetic and Damodar basins.
So all three listed basins have shale gas resources.
Remember: Shale gas is natural gas trapped in fine-grained shale rock.Source: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas / DGH (shale gas policy)
- #13UPSC CSE 2014Consider the following towns of India:1. Bhadrachalam2. Chanderi3. Kancheepuram4. KarnalWhich of the above are famous for the production of traditional sarees/fabric?
- A1 and 2 only
- B2 and 3 only
- C1, 2 and 3 only
- D1, 3 and 4 only
Answer: (B) 2 and 3 onlyExplanation
Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh is famous for Chanderi sarees.
Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu is famous for silk sarees.
Bhadrachalam is known for its Rama temple, not for sarees.
Karnal is known for agriculture and research institutes.
So 2 and 3 only are correct.
Remember: Chanderi and Kancheepuram sarees have Geographical Indication tags.Source: Geographical Indications Registry, Government of India; UPSC CSE 2014
- #14UPSC CSE 2014Consider the following pairs:National Highway : Cities connected1. NH 4 : Chennai and Hyderabad2. NH 6 : Mumbai and Kolkata3. NH 15 : Ahmedabad and JodhpurWhich of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- A1 and 2 only
- B3 only
- Cl,2and3
- DNone
Answer: (D) NoneExplanation
Pair 1 is wrong. NH 4 ran from Thane near Mumbai to Chennai via Pune and Bengaluru.
Pair 2 is wrong. NH 6 ran from Surat to Kolkata via Nagpur and Raipur, not from Mumbai.
Pair 3 is wrong. NH 15 ran from Pathankot to Samakhiali in Gujarat.
So none is correct.
Update (2026): national highways have been renumbered, so these old numbers no longer apply.Source: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, National Highways list (pre-2010 numbering)
- #15UPSC CSE 2014Consider the following pairs:Programme/Project : Ministry1. Drought-Prone Area Programme : Ministry of Agriculture2. Desert Development Programme : Ministry of Environment and Forests3. National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas : Ministry of Rural DevelopmentWhich of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- A1 and 2 only
- B3 only
- Cl,2and3
- DNone
Answer: (D) NoneExplanation
Pair 1 is wrong. DPAP was run by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Pair 2 is wrong. The Desert Development Programme was also under the Ministry of Rural Development.
Pair 3 is wrong. The National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas was under the Ministry of Agriculture.
So none is correct.
Update (2026): these schemes are now merged into the Watershed Development Component of PMKSY.Source: Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources; PMKSY guidelines
- #16UPSC CSE 2010Tamil Nadu is a leading producer of mill made cotton yarn in the country. What could be the reason?1. Black Cotton soil is the predominant type of soil in the state.2. Rich pool of skilled labour is available.Which of the above is/are the correct reasons?
- A1 only
- B2 only
- CBoth 1 and 2
- DNeither 1 nor 2
Answer: (B) 2 onlyExplanation
Statement 1 is incorrect. Red soil, not black cotton soil, covers most of Tamil Nadu. Black soil is found only in parts of the state.
Statement 2 is correct. The state has a large pool of trained textile workers, many spinning mills and a long industrial tradition, especially around Coimbatore.
So only statement 2 explains the leading position in mill-made cotton yarn.
Remember: Tamil Nadu has the largest number of spinning mills in India.Source: UPSC CSE Prelims 2010 question(key: 2 only)
- #17UPSC CSE 2009In India, the ports are categorized as major and non-major ports. Which one of the following is a non-major port?
- AKochi (Cochin)
- BDahej
- CParadip
- DNew Mangalore
Answer: (B) DahejExplanation
Major ports are under the Central Government. Kochi, Paradip and New Mangalore are major ports.
Dahej in Gujarat is a non-major port under the state maritime board.
So Dahej is the answer.
Remember: India has 12 major ports; Kamarajar (Ennore) became the 12th.Source: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
- #18UPSC CSE 2005Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:List-I (Atomic Power Plants/Heavy Water Plant) | List-II (State)A. ThalB. ManuguruC. KakraparaD. Kaiga1. Andhra Pradesh2. Gujarat3. Maharashtra4. Rajasthan5. Karnataka
- A2 1 4 5
- B3 5 2 1
- C2 5 4 1
- D3 1 2 5
Answer: (D) 3 1 2 5Explanation
The Thal heavy water plant is in Maharashtra (A-3).
The Manuguru heavy water plant was in Andhra Pradesh at the time of the exam (B-1).
The Kakrapara atomic power station is in Gujarat (C-2).
The Kaiga atomic power station is in Karnataka (D-5).
So the code is 3 1 2 5.
Update (2026): Manuguru now lies in Telangana.Source: Department of Atomic Energy; Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd
- #19UPSC CSE 1999Consider the following statements:Statement (A): Chile is still a prominent copper producer in the world.Reason (R): Chile is endowed with the largest deposits of porphyry copper.Code:
- ABoth (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is correct explanation of (A).
- BBoth (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- C(A) is true, but (R) is false.
- D(A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is correct explanation of (A).Explanation
Statement (A) is true. Chile is the world's largest copper producer.
Reason (R) is true. Chile has the largest porphyry copper deposits, such as Chuquicamata and Escondida.
Porphyry deposits are large, low-grade ore bodies that can be mined cheaply in bulk.
This is the main reason for Chile's lead, so (R) explains (A).
Remember: Chile produces about a quarter of the world's copper.Source: United States Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries
- #20UPPCS 2020Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion and other as Reason.Assertion (A): Ahmedabad is the largest centre of textile industry in India.Reason (R): Ahmedabad is located in major cotton growing region of India, so it has no problem of raw materials.Select the correct answer from the codes given below.
- ABoth (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- BBoth (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- C(A) is true but (R) is false.
- D(A) is false but (R) is true.
Answer: (D) (A) is false but (R) is true.Explanation
Assertion (A) is false. Mumbai, not Ahmedabad, is regarded as the largest cotton textile centre of India. It was once called Cottonopolis.
Ahmedabad is an old and important centre, but it is second to Mumbai.
Reason (R) is true. Ahmedabad lies near the black cotton soil region of Gujarat, so raw cotton is easily available.
Remember: Ahmedabad is called the Manchester of India.Source: NCERT Class XII, India: People and Economy, Ch. 6 Manufacturing Industries
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