Consider the following statements: 1. India does not have any deposits of Thorium. 2. Kerala`s monazito sands contain Uranium. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

examrobotsa's picture

Submitted by examrobotsa on

Q: 91 (IAS/2009)
Consider the following statements:
1. India does not have any deposits of Thorium.
2. Kerala's monazito sands contain Uranium.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

question_subject: 

Geography

question_exam: 

IAS

stats: 

0,152,179,21,126,32,152

keywords: 

{'uranium': [3, 0, 2, 0], 'thorium': [1, 0, 0, 1], 'deposits': [2, 1, 3, 9], 'monazito sands': [0, 0, 1, 0], 'kerala': [7, 2, 0, 3]}

The correct answer is Option 4: Neither 1 nor 2.

Statement 1: India does not have any deposits of Thorium.

This statement is incorrect. India is actually one of the largest holders of thorium reserves in the world. Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive element, and India possesses significant deposits of thorium minerals, particularly monazite. Monazite sands, found along the coastlines of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, contain thorium and other rare earth elements. India`s thorium reserves are estimated to be around 25% of the global reserves, making it a valuable resource for potential nuclear energy production in the future.

Statement 2: Kerala`s monazite sands contain Uranium.

This statement is also incorrect. While Kerala`s monazite sands do contain thorium, they do not contain significant amounts of uranium. Monazite sands are primarily known for their high thorium content, which is why they are considered a valuable source for thorium reserves.

In summary, neither of the statements is correct. India does have deposits of thorium, and Kerala`s monazite sands primarily contain thorium rather than uranium.