Mineral and Energy Resources of Rajasthan

Metallic minerals: zinc, lead, and copper

Rajasthan is at the forefront of India's primary zinc production, and most of the country's zinc-lead output comes from here. The Zawar mines in Udaipur district are counted among India's oldest zinc-lead mines, where metal smelting has been carried out since ancient times. The Rampura Agucha mine in Bhilwara district ranks among the world's large zinc-lead mines. Udaipur's own Rajpura-Dariba mines are known for their polymetallic reserves, where zinc, lead, copper, and silver are all found together. All these mines are mainly operated by Hindustan Zinc Limited (a Vedanta group company).

For copper, the Khetri Copper Belt in Jhunjhunu district has historically been important and was once called 'India's copper capital'. Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) operates here, though production has declined in recent decades. For REET Mains, the key link to remember is: zinc-lead = the Udaipur-Bhilwara belt, copper = Jhunjhunu (Khetri).

Major minerals and their main region

Remember this table for 'which mineral is found where' type questions in REET Mains.

Petroleum, natural gas, and lignite

The Barmer-Sanchore basin in Barmer district is Rajasthan's most important area for oil and gas exploration. The Mangala oilfield located here is counted among India's largest onshore oil-producing fields, operated by Cairn Oil and Gas (Vedanta). This same basin also has other oilfields such as Bhagyam and Aishwarya. Given the importance of this region, a large oil refinery project (the HPCL-Rajasthan Refinery) has been set up at Pachpadra in Barmer.

Coal reserves in Rajasthan are almost negligible, but lignite (a low-grade coal) reserves are found in the Barmer (Kapurdi, Jalipa, Giral) and Bikaner (Palana, Barsingsar) areas. Lignite-based power plants — the Giral Lignite Power Plant (Barmer) and the Barsingsar Thermal Power Station (Bikaner) — have been set up in the state on this basis.

Major energy production centres

Nuclear energy

Rawatbhata (Kota) — the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS), situated on the bank of the Chambal river.

Major thermal power stations

Kota Super Thermal, Suratgarh, Chhabra (all coal/lignite-based).

Solar energy

The Bhadla Solar Park in Jodhpur district — one of the largest solar parks in the world; due to the vast desert area of the Thar and intense sunlight, Rajasthan is counted among the country's leading states in solar energy potential.

Wind energy

Large wind energy farms are established in the Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Jodhpur belt.

Mineral policy and state institutions

In Rajasthan, the responsibility for regulating mining activity, allotting licences, and policy-making mainly rests with the state's Department of Mines and Geology (DMG), which handles work such as mineral exploration and approval of mining leases. Alongside this, Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited (RSMML) is a public-sector undertaking directly engaged in mining minerals such as rock phosphate, gypsum, lignite, and limestone. It is useful to know the full names and main functions of these institutions for REET Mains, because questions sometimes focus not just on location but also on the name of the institution.

Among non-metallic minerals, Rajasthan has a distinct identity of its own — minerals such as feldspar, garnet, and mica are also found in various parts of the state (the Ajmer, Bhilwara, and Tonk area) and are used as raw material in the ceramics, glass, and electrical-equipment industries. Similarly, the state also has many small-scale mines that supply raw material to local handicrafts and the construction industry — in this way, mineral resources are not limited to large industries alone but also form the basis of the local economy.

Why this matters for REET Mains

Minerals and energy is the most fact-heavy topic in the Rajasthan General Knowledge section, so it is also the easiest place to score accurately — provided the location-mineral pair is remembered correctly. Candidates commonly make one mistake: mixing up Makrana (Nagaur) and Kishangarh (Ajmer) — remember, Makrana is the 'mine' where the stone is extracted, while Kishangarh is its 'market/processing hub'. Similarly, never mix up zinc-lead (Udaipur-Bhilwara) and copper (Jhunjhunu) — these are two separate metallic-mineral belts.

Practice Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

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