Previous Year Question
Which two of the following States are the leading producers of Iron-Ore in India as per the Annual Report of the Ministry of Mines 2020-21?
Odisha
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Select the correct answer from the code given below:
1 and 2
1 and 4
1 and 3
2 and 4
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Odisha has long been India's leading iron-ore producing State. Large iron-ore deposits occur in districts such as Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj. Consequently, Odisha has accounted for the largest share of India's total iron-ore production.
Chhattisgarh is also a major iron-ore producing State. In particular, the Bailadila range in Dantewada is famous for high-grade hematite iron ore. NMDC's Kirandul and Bacheli mines are located in this mineral belt.
In the context of the Ministry of Mines Annual Report 2020-21, Odisha and Chhattisgarh were the leading producers among the States listed in the question. Therefore, Statements 1 and 2 are correct.
Karnataka and Jharkhand are also important iron-ore producing States, but the question asks for the two leading producers.
Current Status (2026): The latest detailed Indian Minerals Yearbook 2024, using 2023-24 data, continues to show the same top two. Odisha accounted for 53.7% of India's iron-ore production and Chhattisgarh for 16.6%, followed by Karnataka at 14.8% and Jharkhand at 8.3%.