GeographyCBSE Class 12 · Mineral and Energy Resources

Non-Ferrous and Non-Metallic Minerals: Bauxite, Copper and Mica (Class 12 Geography, India: People and Economy, Chapter 5)

Updated 16 October 2026 · Fact-checked

India is poorly endowed with non-ferrous metals except bauxite, the ore of aluminium, of which Odisha is the largest producer. Copper, indispensable in the electrical industry, occurs in Singhbhum, Balaghat, Jhunjhunu and Alwar. Mica, the main non-metallic mineral, is mined in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan.

Remember each mineral by its use and top state: bauxite makes aluminium, copper carries electricity, mica insulates; only mica is non-metallic.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Bauxite, Copper and Mica

Why this topic matters. The syllabus lists non-ferrous minerals (bauxite and copper) and the non-metallic mineral mica. Questions ask for distribution by state, uses and one fact for each mine in the map list (bauxite: Katni, Bilaspur, Koraput; copper: Singhbhum, Hazaribagh, Khetari).

1. Non-ferrous minerals. Non-ferrous minerals contain no iron. NCERT: India is poorly endowed with non-ferrous metallic minerals except bauxite.

2. Bauxite.

The ore used in manufacturing aluminium.
Found mainly in tertiary deposits, associated with laterite rocks on plateaus or hill ranges of peninsular India and in coastal tracts.
Odisha is the largest producer; Kalahandi and Sambalpur lead; Bolangir and Koraput have been increasing production. Lohardaga (Jharkhand) patlands have rich deposits.
Other major producers: Gujarat (Bhavnagar, Jamnagar), Chhattisgarh (Amarkantak plateau), Madhya Pradesh (Katni-Jabalpur, Balaghat), Maharashtra (Kolaba, Thane, Ratnagiri, Satara, Pune, Kolhapur). Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa are minor producers.

3. Copper.

Indispensable in the electrical industry for wires, electric motors, transformers and generators.
Alloyable, malleable and ductile; mixed with gold to give strength to jewellery.
Main deposits: Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Jhunjhunu and Alwar (Rajasthan).
Minor: Agnigundala in Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Chitradurg and Hasan (Karnataka), South Arcot (Tamil Nadu).
Reserves are meagre; hence scrap recycling matters for copper (with lead and zinc).

4. Mica (a non-metallic mineral).

Mica is the important non-metallic mineral produced in India; limestone, dolomite and phosphate are extracted mainly for local consumption.
Uses: mainly in the electrical and electronic industries; it can be split into very thin sheets that are tough and flexible.
Producers: Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan, followed by Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
Jharkhand: high-quality mica in a belt about 150 km long and 22 km wide in the lower Hazaribagh plateau.
Andhra Pradesh: Nellore district produces the best quality mica.
Rajasthan: belt about 320 km from Jaipur to Bhilwara and around Udaipur.
Also: Mysuru and Hasan (Karnataka); Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu); Alleppey (Kerala); Ratnagiri (Maharashtra); Purulia and Bankura (West Bengal).

5. Where they occur in the mineral belts. Bauxite and mica lie in the north-eastern plateau belt (with iron ore, coal, manganese); the south-western plateau is rich in bauxite; copper and zinc are major minerals of the north-western (Aravali) belt, and the Himalayan belt has copper, lead, zinc, cobalt and tungsten.

Graph checklist. On a map mark Kalahandi and Koraput (bauxite), Singhbhum (copper), Hazaribagh and Nellore (mica).

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

India is poorly endowed with non-ferrous metallic minerals except bauxite.
NCERT, India: People and Economy, Chapter 5: Opening of the section 'Non-Ferrous Minerals'.
Sets up why bauxite is the one non-ferrous mineral to study in detail.

Bauxite, Copper and Mica: key facts

Bauxite at a glance: Ore of aluminium
Tertiary, laterite
Odisha largest
Kalahandi, Sambalpur lead
Bolangir, Koraput rising; Other major: Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, MP, Maharashtra.
Copper deposits: Singhbhum Jharkhand
Balaghat MP
Jhunjhunu and Alwar Rajasthan; Used for wires, motors, transformers, generators.
Mica belts: Jharkhand 150 km x 22 km (lower Hazaribagh plateau)
Andhra Pradesh Nellore (best quality)
Rajasthan about 320 km, Jaipur to Bhilwara; Uses: electrical and electronic industries.
Map-list minerals: Bauxite: Katni Madhya Pradesh
Koraput Odisha
Bilaspur
Copper: Singhbhum Jharkhand
Hazaribagh Jharkhand
Khetari Rajasthan; Names from the 2026-27 syllabus map list. Katni, Koraput and Singhbhum are placed by NCERT; Hazaribagh (copper, Jharkhand) and Khetri (Rajasthan) are placed by CBSE board papers and marking schemes; neither NCERT nor the map list gives Bilaspur's state (it is the Bilaspur of Chhattisgarh).

Singhbhum	Jharkhand
Balaghat	MP
Jhunjhunu and Alwar	Rajasthan

Jharkhand	150 km x 22 km (lower Hazaribagh plateau)
Andhra Pradesh	Nellore (best quality)
Rajasthan	about 320 km, Jaipur to Bhilwara

Bauxite: Katni	Madhya Pradesh
Koraput	Odisha
	Bilaspur
Copper: Singhbhum	Jharkhand
Hazaribagh	Jharkhand
Khetari	Rajasthan

How to answer Bauxite, Copper and Mica questions

Answer by mineral: use, geology, leading states, mines. Keep the figures (lengths of mica belts) and the names exact.

1Start with what the mineral is used for (aluminium, wires, electrical goods).
2Name the leading state first and then the districts: Odisha (Kalahandi, Sambalpur), Jharkhand (Singhbhum, Hazaribagh).
3Add the minor producers in a closing line.
4For mica, always mention the 150 km and 320 km belts and Nellore.
5For map work, pair each mine in the syllabus list with its state.

Bauxite, Copper and Mica in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Mica in an appliance

Suppose a repair shop owner pulls out a thin, shiny, flexible sheet from an old electrical heater and says it can be peeled into even thinner layers.

Which mineral is this likely to be, and which property does NCERT stress?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Mica is mainly used in the electrical and electronic industries.
It can be split into very thin sheets which are tough and flexible.

Answer: Mica; it splits into very thin sheets that are tough and flexible.

Memory hook: Thin, tough, flexible: mica.

Copper in jewellery

Suppose a jeweller mixes a little red metal into gold before making a bangle so that it does not bend out of shape.

Which metal is this, and what is the NCERT reason?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Copper is alloyable, malleable and ductile.
It is mixed with gold to provide strength to jewellery.

Answer: Copper, which is mixed with gold to give strength to jewellery.

Memory hook: Copper makes gold strong.

Tricks to remember Bauxite, Copper and Mica

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Bauxite 'K S B K'
Kalahandi, Sambalpur lead; Bolangir, Koraput rise.
Use it when: Odisha bauxite.
Copper 'S B J A'
Singhbhum, Balaghat, Jhunjhunu, Alwar.
Use it when: Main copper deposits.
Mica numbers 150, 320
Jharkhand 150 km, Rajasthan 320 km; Nellore best.
Use it when: Mica belts.
Aluminium from bauxite
B for bauxite, B for the metal in the can.
Use it when: Use of bauxite.

Bauxite, Copper and Mica: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: The well-endowed non-ferrous mineral · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

According to NCERT, India is poorly endowed with non-ferrous metallic minerals except:
(A) copper
(B) bauxite
(C) zinc
(D) tin

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT: India is poorly endowed with non-ferrous metallic minerals except bauxite (1 mark).

Answer: (B) bauxite

Example 2: Where is the 150 km mica belt? · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

A belt of high-quality mica about 150 km long and 22 km wide lies in the:
(A) Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh
(B) lower Hazaribagh plateau of Jharkhand
(C) Jaipur-Bhilwara region of Rajasthan
(D) Mysuru and Hasan districts of Karnataka

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT: in Jharkhand, high quality mica is obtained in a belt about 150 km long and 22 km wide in the lower Hazaribagh plateau.
Nellore is noted for best quality; the Rajasthan belt is about 320 km (1 mark).

Answer: (B) lower Hazaribagh plateau of Jharkhand

Example 3: Assertion and reason on bauxite · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): Bauxite in India is found mainly in tertiary deposits associated with laterite rocks.
Reason (R): Laterite rocks occur extensively on the plateau or hill ranges of peninsular India and in coastal tracts.
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false but (R) is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Both statements are in NCERT.
R describes where laterite rocks occur; it does not explain why bauxite is associated with them, so it is not the explanation (1 mark).

Answer: (B) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

Example 4: Source-based: mica · 3 marks · Source-basedHarder board level

Read the passage: "Among the non-metallic minerals produced in India, mica is the important one. Mica is mainly used in the electrical and electronic industries. It can be split into very thin sheets which are tough and flexible. In Andhra Pradesh, Nellore district produces the best quality mica. In Rajasthan, the mica belt extends for about 320 km from Jaipur to Bhilwara and around Udaipur."
(i) Which property makes mica suitable for electrical industries, according to the passage? (1)
(A) It splits into thin, tough and flexible sheets (B) It is the ore of aluminium (C) It is a fossil fuel (D) It is a ferrous mineral
(ii) The district producing the best quality mica is: (1)
(A) Udaipur (B) Bhilwara (C) Nellore (D) Hasan
(iii) The length of the Rajasthan mica belt from Jaipur to Bhilwara is about: (1)
(A) 150 km (B) 220 km (C) 320 km (D) 420 km

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) Thin, tough, flexible sheets, so (A) (1 mark).
(ii) Nellore, so (C) (1 mark).
(iii) About 320 km, so (C) (1 mark).

Answer: (i) A; (ii) C; (iii) C

Example 5: Uses and properties of copper · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

State the uses and the properties of copper that suit it to those uses, and name its three main areas of occurrence. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Uses: wires, electric motors, transformers and generators; mixed with gold for strength in jewellery (1 mark).
Properties: alloyable, malleable and ductile (1 mark).
Main areas: Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Jhunjhunu and Alwar (Rajasthan) (1 mark).

Answer: Copper is indispensable in the electrical industry for making wires, electric motors, transformers and generators, and it is mixed with gold to provide strength to jewellery. It is alloyable, malleable and ductile, which suits these uses. Its main deposits occur in Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh and Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts in Rajasthan.

Example 6: HOTS: Odisha's mineral combination · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Odisha is the largest producer of bauxite, a leading producer of manganese, has hill ranges of iron ore and coal at Talcher and Rampur. Explain how this fits the north-eastern plateau mineral belt and what advantage the combination gives. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The north-eastern plateau (Chhotanagpur, Odisha plateau, West Bengal, parts of Chhattisgarh) has iron ore, coal, manganese, bauxite and mica (1 mark).
Odisha: bauxite at Kalahandi and Sambalpur (Bolangir, Koraput rising) (1 mark).
Iron ore in Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj and Jhar; manganese in Bonai, Kendujhar and Sundergarh (1 mark).
Coal at Talcher and Rampur (1 mark).
Advantage: raw materials for iron and steel and aluminium close together, with iron ore near coalfields (1 mark).

Answer: The north-eastern plateau region, covering Chhotanagpur in Jharkhand, the Odisha plateau, West Bengal and parts of Chhattisgarh, has a variety of minerals: iron ore, coal, manganese, bauxite and mica. Odisha fits this pattern closely. It is the largest producer of bauxite, with Kalahandi and Sambalpur leading and Bolangir and Koraput increasing production. Iron ore occurs in a series of hill ranges in Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj and Jhar, manganese is mined in Bonai, Kendujhar and Sundergarh, and Talcher and Rampur are important coal mining centres.

Because iron ore mines lie close to the coalfields and the ores of several metals occur together, the region provides the raw material base for metallurgical industries, particularly iron and steel and, with bauxite, for aluminium.

Where students lose marks in Bauxite, Copper and Mica

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Calling copper a ferrous mineral
Metals are all grouped together.
Wrong working
Copper is a ferrous metallic mineral.
Right working
Copper has no iron content and is a non-ferrous metallic mineral.
Do this: Ferrous = iron.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Naming Gujarat as the largest bauxite producer
Gujarat has major deposits.
Wrong working
Gujarat is the largest producer of bauxite.
Right working
Odisha is the largest producer; Gujarat is among the other major producers.
Do this: Odisha first, then Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, MP, Maharashtra.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Mixing the mica belt lengths
Two figures, two states.
Wrong working
Rajasthan: 150 km; Jharkhand: 320 km.
Right working
Jharkhand: about 150 km long and 22 km wide; Rajasthan: about 320 km from Jaipur to Bhilwara.
Do this: Write 'Jharkhand 150, Rajasthan 320'.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Writing that mica is a metal
It is mined alongside metals.
Wrong working
Mica is a non-ferrous metallic mineral.
Right working
Mica is a non-metallic mineral used in the electrical and electronic industries.
Do this: Classify as non-metallic.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Open every distribution answer with the leading state and one mine or district in that state.
Copper and mica answers should carry both a use and a place; one without the other loses marks.
For map work, learn the six mines in the syllabus list with their states: Katni (Madhya Pradesh), Koraput (Odisha) and Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) for bauxite; Singhbhum and Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) and Khetari (Rajasthan) for copper.
The questions on this page are our own and are checked by meaning against the chapter page; they are not copies of past board items.

Practice questions on Bauxite, Copper and Mica

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which two districts of Odisha have been increasing their bauxite production, according to NCERT?
(A) Kalahandi and Sambalpur
(B) Bolangir and Koraput
(C) Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar
(D) Talcher and Rampur
Hint
Two lead; two are rising.
Answer
(B) Bolangir and Koraput. Kalahandi and Sambalpur are the leading producers.
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Name the minor producing areas of copper in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. (2 marks)
Hint
Guntur, Chitradurg and Hasan, South Arcot.
Answer
Agnigundala in Guntur district (Andhra Pradesh); Chitradurg and Hasan districts (Karnataka); South Arcot district (Tamil Nadu).
Q3 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level
In which mineral belt of India does NCERT say copper and zinc have been the major minerals?
(A) The north-eastern plateau region
(B) The south-western plateau region
(C) The north-western region along the Aravali in Rajasthan and part of Gujarat
(D) The Himalayan belt only
Hint
Dharwar rocks of Rajasthan.
Answer
(C) The north-western region along the Aravali, where minerals are associated with the Dharwar system. The Himalayan belt also has copper, lead, zinc, cobalt and tungsten, but NCERT calls copper and zinc the major minerals of the north-western belt.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Describe the occurrence of bauxite in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and name the other states with major deposits. (3 marks)
Hint
Amarkantak plateau; Katni-Jabalpur and Balaghat.
Answer
Chhattisgarh has bauxite deposits in the Amarkantak plateau. In Madhya Pradesh the Katni-Jabalpur area and Balaghat have important deposits. Other major producers are Odisha (the largest), Gujarat (Bhavnagar and Jamnagar) and Maharashtra (Kolaba, Thane, Ratnagiri, Satara, Pune and Kolhapur).
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Name any three non-metallic minerals mentioned in NCERT and say which one is the most important and which are extracted for local consumption. (3 marks)
Hint
Mica; limestone, dolomite, phosphate.
Answer
Mica, limestone, dolomite and phosphate are mentioned. Mica is the important non-metallic mineral produced in India; limestone, dolomite and phosphate are the other minerals extracted for local consumption.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
The mica belt of Jharkhand is about 150 km long and 22 km wide and that of Rajasthan about 320 km long. (a) Treating the Jharkhand belt as a rectangle, find its area. (b) By how many km is the Rajasthan belt longer? (c) Why can belt length alone not show which state is the bigger producer? (3 marks)
Hint
Length x width; subtract; think of quality and width.
Answer
(a) Area = 150 x 22 = 3,300 square km (approximately, treating the belt as a rectangle). (b) 320 - 150 = 170 km longer. (c) NCERT gives only the length for the Rajasthan belt, not its width or output, and mica deposits differ in quality, so length alone cannot show production; NCERT lists Jharkhand first among the producing states and notes its high-quality mica.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Where in Jharkhand are rich bauxite deposits found?Show answer
In the patlands of Lohardaga.
2.Where does the best quality mica of Andhra Pradesh come from?Show answer
Nellore district.
3.Name the two Rajasthan districts with copper deposits.Show answer
Jhunjhunu and Alwar.
4.In which plateau is the high-quality mica belt of Jharkhand?Show answer
The lower Hazaribagh plateau.
5.What are the other non-metallic minerals extracted for local consumption?Show answer
Limestone, dolomite and phosphate.

Bauxite, Copper and Mica: frequently asked questions

Which minerals are asked for under non-ferrous and non-metallic in the syllabus?

Bauxite and copper (non-ferrous) and mica (non-metallic).

Where are the map-list copper mines Khetari and Hazaribagh?

NCERT does not describe either as a copper area; it names Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh) and Jhunjhunu and Alwar (Rajasthan). CBSE's own papers place them: the 2023 and 2024 papers (64/1/1) asked for the state of the Khetri copper mines, answer Rajasthan, and the 2025 paper 64/6/1 asked for copper mines in Jharkhand with Hazaribagh as the marking-scheme answer.

Where do the map-list bauxite mines of Katni, Koraput and Bilaspur lie?

NCERT places Katni in Madhya Pradesh (the Katni-Jabalpur area) and Koraput in Odisha. It does not name Bilaspur; it gives Chhattisgarh's bauxite as lying in the Amarkantak plateau. The map list gives no state for Bilaspur; it is the Bilaspur of Chhattisgarh, a location this page adds and NCERT does not state.

What is mica used for?

Mainly in the electrical and electronic industries, because it splits into very thin, tough and flexible sheets.