Consider the following statements :1. India does not have any deposits of Thorium.2. Kerala’s monazite sands contain Uranium.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
✓ Correct answer: d) Neither 1 nor 2
ExplanationStatement 1 is incorrect : India possesses significant reserves of thorium, particularly in the southern parts of the country.Major Thorium Deposit states are : Andhra Pradesh ,Tamil Nadu ,Odis- ha , Kerala ,Gujarat, West Bengal and Jharkhand.Statement 2 is incorrect : Kerala’s monazite sands, particularly along the coastal regions of Kollam and Palakkad, are among the richest for thorium in the world.These sands contain ap- proximately 1.9 million tonnes of monazite, with high concen- trations of thorium (up to 10%) and rare earth elements (55–60%).UPSC GS Paper-I PYQs 402Thorium is a naturally occurring, radioactive metal more abundant than uranium in the Earth’s crust.Extracted primarily from monazite sands, it is considered a potential nuclear fuel due to its ability to breed fissile uranium-233. Thorium has applications in nuclear reactors, high- temperature ceramics, and scientific instruments but requires further development for widespread use.Monazite is primarily used for extracting thorium and rare earth metals, essential for nuclear energy and advanced technolog
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