Ilmenite and rutile, abundantly available in certain coastal tracts of India, are rich sources of which one of the following?
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Answer: D. Ilmenite (iron-titanium oxide) and rutile (titanium dioxide) are the main ores of titanium. India's beach sands in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha are rich in them.
Watch for: Ilmenite contains iron, which tempts students to pick Iron, but it is valued as a titanium ore.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because the ore of aluminium is bauxite.
- B. Wrong because copper comes from ores like chalcopyrite.
- C. Wrong because iron ores are haematite and magnetite; ilmenite is mined for titanium.
Source to check: Indian Bureau of Mines, Indian Minerals Yearbook (Ilmenite and Rutile chapter); IREL (India) Limited website
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.