Defence
Which state is the largest producer of manganese ore in India?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option B — Madhya Pradesh
Detailed Solution
According to recent production data of the Indian Bureau of Mines, Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of manganese ore in India, followed closely by Maharashtra and Odisha. Its main deposits are in the Balaghat district, with smaller ones in Chhindwara and Jhabua.
Manganese mines of Madhya Pradesh:
- The Balaghat mine and the Ukwa mine in Balaghat district.
- The Balaghat-Bharweli mine is one of the largest and deepest underground manganese mines in Asia.
- These mines are run mainly by MOIL Limited (formerly Manganese Ore India Limited), a public sector company with headquarters in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Manganese belts of India:
The Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh)-Nagpur-Bhandara (Maharashtra) belt, in old rocks called the Sausar Group, is the most important.
Odisha: Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Koraput districts. Odisha holds the largest manganese ore resources of India.
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Jharkhand also have deposits.
Uses of manganese:
Steel making: about 90 per cent of manganese is used in making iron and steel. It removes sulphur and oxygen from molten iron and makes steel harder and tougher. About 10 kg of manganese is needed to make one tonne of steel.
Ferro-manganese and silico-manganese alloys are produced for the steel industry.
Dry-cell batteries (manganese dioxide), and increasingly lithium-ion battery cathodes.
Bleaching powder, insecticides, paints and glass (to remove the green tint caused by iron).
Ores of manganese:
Pyrolusite (manganese dioxide) and psilomelane are the main ores.
World production:
South Africa is the world's largest producer of manganese ore and holds the largest reserves. Gabon and Australia are also major producers.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Maharashtra (Nagpur and Bhandara districts) is a close second.
- ✗Goa has manganese deposits mixed with its iron ores, but produces much less.
- ✗Andhra Pradesh has manganese in the Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, but produces less.
Quick tip
Remember: Largest manganese producer = Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat, MOIL); largest resources = Odisha; manganese is used mainly in steel making.
💬 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.