Police
The famous Kolar Gold Fields are located in which state?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Karnataka
Detailed Solution
The Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) are located in the Kolar district of Karnataka, about 100 km east of Bengaluru.
About the Kolar Gold Fields:
- Gold mining at Kolar dates back to ancient times; old workings show that gold was mined here more than 1,500 years ago.
- Modern, large-scale mining began in 1880, when the British company John Taylor & Sons took over the mines.
- The mines became some of the deepest gold mines in the world, reaching depths of more than 3 km.
In 1902, KGF became one of the first places in Asia to receive electricity, supplied by the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric power station on the Kaveri river. It was built mainly to power the mines.
Because of its British-style bungalows, clubs and cool climate, KGF was once called "Little England".
After independence, the mines were nationalised in 1956 and run by Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) from 1972.
As gold reserves fell and costs rose, the mines became unprofitable and were closed in 2001.
The deep mines were also used for science: in 1965, scientists working in a KGF mine recorded one of the first detections of atmospheric neutrinos.
KGF became widely known after the Kannada films "K.G.F: Chapter 1" (2018) and "K.G.F: Chapter 2" (2022).
Gold in India today:
The Hutti Gold Mines in the Raichur district of Karnataka are now India's main producer of primary gold. They are run by Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited, a Karnataka government company.
Karnataka produces most of India's mined gold.
According to the Geological Survey of India, Bihar (especially the Jamui district) has the largest gold ore resources in India, but they have not yet been mined on a large scale.
Other gold areas include Ramagiri (Andhra Pradesh) and Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh).
India is one of the world's largest consumers of gold, and most of its gold is imported.
Other mineral facts:
- Coal: Jharkhand has the largest reserves.
- Iron ore: Odisha is the largest producer.
- Zinc and lead: Rajasthan (Zawar mines).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Andhra Pradesh has the Ramagiri gold fields.
- ✗Jharkhand is famous for coal and iron ore.
- ✗Rajasthan is famous for zinc, lead and marble.
Quick tip
Remember: Kolar Gold Fields = Karnataka (deep mines; closed 2001; electricity from Shivanasamudra 1902); Hutti = main gold producer today (Raichur, Karnataka); largest gold ore resources = Bihar (Jamui).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Minerals & Energy Resources Questions
View all ›- Q1.Which is the highest quality hard coal, with the highest carbon content?
- Q2.The Panchpatmali hills in the Koraput district of Odisha are famous for deposits of:
- Q3.Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh is known for:
- Q4.Mumbai High, located in the Arabian Sea, is known for the production of:
- Q5.Which state is the largest producer of lignite coal in India?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Minerals & Energy Resources — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Minerals & Energy Resources, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's mineral resources (iron ore, manganese, bauxite, copper, mica and others) and energy resources (coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy), with their main producing regions, mines, oil fields and power plants. Questions often ask where a mineral is found, which state is the leading producer, or where an important power plant or oil field is located. For example, Jharia is known for coal, Digboi in Assam is the oldest oil field in India, and Tarapur in Maharashtra is the site of India's first nuclear power plant. Practise the minerals and energy resources questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.