CBSE Class 10 SST: Minerals & Energy Resources — Geography Notes 2026

Classification of Minerals

• Metallic: iron ore, copper, bauxite (aluminium ore), gold, manganese; found in igneous and metamorphic rocks
• Non-metallic: limestone (cement), mica (electrical), gypsum, salt; found in sedimentary rocks and evaporite deposits
• Energy minerals: coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium — used as fuel or for electricity generation

Iron Ore in India

• Types: magnetite (best quality, 70% iron), haematite (most abundant, 50–60% iron), limonite and siderite (lower grade)
• Major producing states: Jharkhand (Noamundi), Odisha (Barbil), Chhattisgarh (Bailadila), Karnataka (Kudremukh), Goa
• India: 4th largest iron ore reserves; major exporter; NMDC (National Mineral Development Corporation) major producer

Manganese and Bauxite

• Manganese: used to make steel alloys; Odisha (38%), Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh; India 4th largest producer
• Bauxite: ore of aluminium; Odisha (Kalahandi-Koraput), Gujarat, Jharkhand; aluminium is light and corrosion-resistant
• Aluminium use: aircraft, vehicles, packaging, electrical cables — essential for modern industry

Coal in India

• Types: anthracite (highest quality), bituminous (most abundant in India), lignite, peat (lowest rank)
• Gondwana fields: Jharkhand (Jharia), West Bengal (Raniganj), Odisha, Chhattisgarh, MP — 98% of India's coal
• Tertiary coal fields: northeast India (Meghalaya, Assam); lower quality; Singareni coalfields (Telangana)

Petroleum and Natural Gas

• Petroleum: forms from marine organisms; India's sedimentary basins; major fields: Mumbai High (56%), Assam, Rajasthan (Cairn), Gujarat
• Natural gas: Maharashtra (Hazira), Rajasthan, Krishna-Godavari basin (KG Basin, Reliance); pipeline network expanding
• India imports 85% of crude oil; US$100+ billion foreign exchange spent annually

Renewable Energy in India

• Solar: Rajasthan (Bhadla Solar Park — world's largest, 2,245 MW), Gujarat (Rann of Kutch)
• Wind: Tamil Nadu (Muppandal), Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan; India 4th largest wind power capacity
• Nuclear: Tarapur (Maharashtra), Kaiga (Karnataka), Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu); target 10% of power from nuclear by 2032

CBSE Map and Exam Tips

• Map: mark Jharia, Raniganj (coal); Mumbai High (oil); Singreni; Bhadla; Tarapur (nuclear)
• Classification table: metallic vs non-metallic minerals with examples
• India's energy challenges: dependence on imports, uneven distribution, sustainability — 4-mark essay