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UPSC Prelims 2010 · Indian Geography · India’s Land and Borders
Which one of the following is the appropriate reason for considering the Gondwana rocks as most important of rock systems of India?
- (a) More than 90% of limestone reserves of India are found in them
- (b) More than 90% of India's coal reserves are found in them
- (c) More than 90% of fertile black cotton soils are spread over them
- (d) None of the reasons given above is appropriate in this context
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (b) More than 90% of India's coal reserves are found in them
About 98% of India’s coal lies in Gondwana rocks (Damodar, Mahanadi, Godavari valleys).
The idea
Rock systems matter economically because their formation controls which resources they contain. Coal forms when buried plant material is altered over a long time. India’s Gondwana sedimentary basins preserved plant-rich layers, unlike lava flows that later weathered into black soil.
Vegetation grows in wet lowlands → Plant remains collect → Sediment buries them → Heat and pressure act over time → Coal seams form → Faulted sedimentary basins preserve deposits
Why the others are wrong
(a) Limestone is found in many rock systems (Vindhyan, Cuddapah).
(c) Black soil comes from Deccan basalt, not Gondwana rocks.
The trap
Black soil comes from lava rocks, not Gondwana.
Also know
Carry the coal-basin family: Damodar includes Raniganj and Jharia; the Son basin includes Singrauli; Mahanadi includes Talcher and the Ib valley; Godavari includes the Singareni belt. Younger coal occurs in parts of north-east India. Neyveli is associated with lignite, not the classic Gondwana hard-coal belt.
🔒 Gondwana coal ~98% · Tertiary coal (NE, lignite) ~2%.
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