Consider the following statements : Most of the coal and the ferrous

Consider the following statements :

Most of the coal and the ferrous group of minerals in India occur in the south of the Vindhyas.
The peninsular India once formed part of the super-continent which included Australia, Antarctica, Africa and South America.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

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1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CDS-1 – 2016

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Statement 1: India’s major coal reserves belong to the Gondwana system, found in river valleys like Damodar, Mahanadi, Godavari, and Son. These areas, including Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana, are largely located in the peninsular region, which is south of the Vindhya range. Similarly, the rich ferrous mineral deposits (iron ore, manganese) are concentrated in the peninsular plateau region, covering states like Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Goa, all located south of the Vindhyas. Therefore, most of the coal and ferrous group of minerals in India occur south of the Vindhyas. This statement is correct.
Statement 2: According to the theory of Plate Tectonics and the concept of Gondwanaland, the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago consisted of the landmasses that are now South America, Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, India, Antarctica, and Australia. The peninsular part of India was indeed a part of this supercontinent before it broke up and the Indian plate moved northwards. This statement is correct.
Since both statements are correct, the answer is C.

India’s major mineral belts (coal, ferrous minerals) are primarily located in the ancient peninsular block, which was historically part of the Gondwanaland supercontinent.

The Gondwana rocks, rich in coal, are found predominantly in the fault-bounded basins of the peninsula. The iron ore belts are also located in the highly stable and ancient shield areas of the Indian peninsula. The theory of continental drift and plate tectonics explains the past configuration of the Earth’s continents, including the formation and breakup of supercontinents like Gondwanaland and Pangaea.

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