With reference to India, consider the following statements : 1. Mon

With 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 coastal sands in India.
  • 4. In India, Government bodies only can process or export monazite.

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

1, 2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 4 only
3 and 4 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2022
Statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct.
Monazite is a phosphate mineral containing rare earth elements (REEs) and thorium. It is found in placer deposits, particularly in coastal sands. In India, due to its thorium content, which is a prescribed substance under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, the mining, processing, and export of monazite are strictly controlled and primarily handled by government entities like IREL (India) Limited.
Statement 3 is incorrect because monazite sands, while found along coasts, are not uniformly distributed across the *entire* coastal sands of India. They are concentrated in specific areas, notably the beaches of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha.
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