Mineral Based Industries of India ICSE Class 10 Geography Important Questions

Students of ICSE Class 10 should refer to Mineral Based Industries of India 10 Geography Questions below which have come in past board exams. You should always go through questions that have come in previous years. This will help you to understand the pattern of questions in ICSE Class 10 Geography and prepare accordingly. This will help you to get better marks in ICSE Class 10 Board Exams

ICSE Class 10 Geography Mineral Based Industries of India Important Questions

Students should learn the important questions and answers given below for Chapter Mineral Based Industries of India in Geography for ICSE Class 10. These board questions are expected to come in the upcoming exams. Students of ICSE Class 10th should go through the Important questions and answers ICSE Class 10 Geography which will help them to get more marks in exams.

Board Exam Questions Mineral Based Industries of India ICSE Class 10 Geography

Mineral Based Industries of India ICSE Class 10 Geography Important Questions

State or name

a. Two ores of iron

b. Two metals which are alloyed together to make steel

c. Two non metals which are used to make steel

d. Furnace used to reduce iron ore to iron

e. Name of iron obtained through reduction of iron ore

f. Furnace where iron is alloyed with other metals to obtain steel

g. Place where steel is cast into several shapes

h. Two industry standard shapes of steel

i. Two types of steel plants

j. Largest private sector steel plant

k. Largest public sector steel plant

Question. What is the importance of the iron and steel industry?
Ans. Iron and Steel Industry is considered to be a key or basic industry because the product of this industry is steel which in turn is used to make machines for other industries. Moreover, steel is required for construction, making agricultural equipment, defence equipment, transport and several other applications.

Question. Mention four sectors of economy where steel is essential.
Ans. Industry, Agriculture, Infrastructure and Transport

Question. List the four steps involved in steel production.
Ans. Step       Process         Output
       1            Extraction       of iron ore Iron Ore
       2            Smelting        (reducing iron ore to iron) Pig Iron
       3            Alloying          Steel
       4            Casting           Ingots, Billets, Sheets

Question. In what ratio are iron ore, coking coal and limestone mixed in the blast furnace?
Ans. Iron ore: Coking Coal: Limestone = 4:2:1

Question. What do you mean by smelting of iron ore?
Ans. The process in which iron ore is mixed with coking coal and limestone ain the ratio of 4:2:1 in a blast furnace in order to reduce iron ore to pig iron is called smelting.

Question. What is the role of limestone in steel production?
Ans. Limestone (CaCO3) is used to remove silica impurity (SiO2) from iron ore. Limestone acts as a flux. It mixes with silica to give slag (CaSiO3). CaCO3 (flux) + SiO2 (impurity) QQCaSiO3 (slag)

Question. Mention two reasons why pig iron cannot be used directly.
Ans. Two reasons why pig iron cannot be used directly are
i. It is brittle
ii. When exposed to oxygen, it converts to rust

Question. What happens in a steel melting furnace?
Ans. In a steel melting furnace (or basic oxygen furnace or LD convertor), pig iron and manganese are mixed together along with nickel, carbon and chromium and heated to a temperature of 1800 °C. Oxygen is blown over the molten mixture such that the final output is steel.

Question. What is the role of steel rolling mills?
Ans. In a steel rolling mill, steel produced is cast into several shapes depending on requirements such as sheets, rods, ingots or billets.

Question. What is the difference between primary steelmaking and secondary steelmaking?
Ans. The process of making steel from iron ore is called primary steelmaking. The process of making steel from steel scrap is called secondary steelmaking.

Question. What is an integrated steel plant?
Ans. An integrated steel plant is one in which steel is produced right from iron ore. It uses a blast furnace.

Question. What is a mini steel plant?
Ans. A mini steel plant is one in which steel is produced from steel scrap. It uses an electric furnace.

Question. Mention four points of difference between an integrated steel plant and a mini steel plant.
Ans. Integrated Steel Plant Mini Steel Plant
Raw material Iron ore Steel scrap
Furnace Blast Furnace Electric Furnace
Investment High Low
Location Near source of iron ore Anywhere

Question. Why are mini steel plants becoming popular?
Ans. Mini Steel Plants are becoming popular due to the following reasons.
i. The raw material is steel scrap, which is readily available anywhere.
ii. The investment required is quite low compared to integrated steel plants.
iii. They can be located anywhere.

Question. Mention 8 important iron and steel plants in India.
Ans. The most important iron and steel plants in India are
i. Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO), Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
ii. Bhillai Steel Plant, Bhillai, Chhattisgarh
iii. Bokaro Iron and Steel Plant, Bokaro, Jharkhand
iv. Durgapur Iron and Steel Plant, Durgapur, West Bengal
v. Rourkela Iron and Steel Plant, Rourkela, Orissa
vi. Viswaseraiya Iron and Steel Plant, Mysore, Karnataka
vii. Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO), Asansol, West Bengal
viii. Vishakhapatnam Iron and Steel Plant, Vishakhapatnam, Orissa

Question.. With reference to the Tata Iron and Steel Plant, answer the following questions.
a. When was it set up?
b. Where is it located?
c. Where does it get its iron ore and manganese from?
d. Where does it get coal from?
e. What is the source of power for the plant?
f. What does the plant produce?
g. How is the plant favourably located in terms of transport?
Ans. Name of Plant Tata       Iron and Steel Company
        Year of Establishment    1905
        Location                        Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
        Collaboration
        Iron Ore                        Singhbhum, Jharkhand
        Manganese                   Keonjhar, Orissa
        Coal                              Jharia Coal Field, Jharkhand
        Power                            Damodar Valley Project
        Products                       Sheets, Rails, Wheels, Billets
        Strategic Location         On route from Delhi to Kolkata

Question. With reference to the Bhillai Iron and Steel Plant, answer the following questions.
a. When was it set up?
b. With whose collaboration was it set up?
c. Where is it located?
d. Where does it get its iron ore and manganese from?
e. Where does it get coal from?
f. What is the source of power for the plant?
g. What does the plant produce?
h. How is the plant favourably located in terms of transport?
Ans. Name of Plant                   Bhillai Iron and Steel
       Year of Establishment        1957
       Location                            Bhillai, Chhattisgarh
       Collaboration                    USSR
       Iron Ore                            Durg and Bastar Districts, Chhattisgarh
       Manganese                       Balaghat, M.P.
       Coal                                  Korba coal fields, Chhattisgarh
       Power                               Korba Thermal Power Station
       Products                           Sheets, Rails, Billets, Beams and Angles
       Strategic Location             On route from Nagpur to Kolkata

Question. With reference to the Bokaro Iron and Steel Plant, answer the following questions.
a. When was it set up?
b. With whose collaboration was it set up?
c. Where is it located?
d. Where does it get its iron ore and manganese from?
e. Where does it get coal from?
f. What is the source of power for the plant?
g. What does the plant produce?
h. How is the plant favourably located in terms of transport?
Ans. Year of Establishment                   1964
Location                                      Bokaro, Jharkhand
Collaboration                               USSR
Iron                                              Ore Singhbhum, Jharkhand and
Mayurbhanj,                                Orissa
Manganese                                  Keonjhar, Orissa
Coal                                             Jharia Coal Field, Jharkhand
Power                                          Damodar Valley Project
Products                                      Crude Steel and Pig Iron
Strategic                                      Location Well connected to Kolkata

Question. With reference to the Durgapur Iron and Steel Plant, answer the following questions.
a. When was it set up?
b. With whose collaboration was it set up?
c. Where is it located?
d. Where does it get its iron ore and manganese from?
e. Where does it get coal from?
f. What is the source of power for the plant?
g. What does the plant produce?
h. How is the plant favourably located in terms of transport?
Ans. Name of Plant                  Durgapur Iron and Steel Plant
       Year of Establishment         1959
       Location                             Durgapur, West Bengal
       Collaboration                     British
       Iron Ore                             Singhbhum, Jharkhand and Keonjhar, Orissa
      Manganese                         Keonjhar, Orissa
      Coal                                    Jharia Coal Field, Jharkhand, Raniganj, West Bengal
      Power                                 Damodar Valley Project
      Products                             Stainless Steel and Billets
      Strategic                             Location Navigation canal to Kolkata

Question. With reference to the Rourkela Iron and Steel Plant, answer the following questions.
a. When was it set up?
b. With whose collaboration was it set up?
c. Where is it located?
d. Where does it get its iron ore and manganese from?
e. Where does it get coal from?
f. What is the source of power for the plant?
g. What does the plant produce?
h. How is the plant favourably located in terms of transport?
Ans. Name of Plant               Rourkela Iron and Steel Plant
       Year of Establishment      1959
       Location                           Rourkela, Orissa
       Collaboration                   Krupp and Demag, Germany
       Iron                                  Ore Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj, Orissa
       Manganese                     Keonjhar, Orissa
       Coal                                 Talcher Coal Field, Orissa
       Power                              Hirakud Project
       Products                          Steel sheets for railways, ships and space shuttles
       Strategic                          Location Connected to Vishakhapatnam and Kolkata

Question. What are the problems of the iron and steel industry of India?
Ans. Following are the problems of the iron and steel industry of India.
1. Capital investment
2. Lack of latest technology
3. Low productivity
4. Unions and Strikes
5. Heavy demand

Question. What is SAIL? What are its functions?
Ans. SAIL stands for Steel Authority of India Ltd. It is a public sector undertaking which is responsible for the management of all public sector plants in India. Additionally, it has taken over the IISCO and Viswaseraiya plant.

Heavy Engineering Industry

Question. What is a heavy engineering industry?
Ans.Heavy engineering industries are those which have the following features.
a. They convert steel, plastic etc into either finished goods such as modes of transport or make
machinery and equipment for other industries
b. Both raw material and finished goods are bulky in nature

Question. What are the main requirements for setting up a heavy engineering industry?
Ans.Following are the requirements of the heavy engineering industry.
1. Huge investment
2. Heavy and bulky raw material like steel
3. Enormous amount of power
4. Skilled labour in abundance
5. Enormous transport costs

Question. What do you mean by a hinterland?
Ans.The area around the port which consists of those people and industries which depend on the port for
their survival constitutes a hinterland. In other words, the area around the port which is influenced
by the activities of the port is known as a hinterland.

Question. What are the requirements of the ship building industry?
Ans.Following are the requirements of the ship building industry.
1. Large hinterland
2. Deep navigable water
3. Huge investment
4. Raw material like steel, timber, etc
5. Skilled labour in abundance

Question. Mention 4 major shipyards of India along with their products
Ans. Sr    Shipyard Name                Place                   Products
       1     Hindustan Shipyard          Vishakhapatnam Barges, Rigs, Cargo Vessels
       2     Garden Reach Workshop  Kolkata               Barges, Dredgers
       3     Mazagaon Dock                Mumbai             Cargo and Passenger Ships
       4     Cochin Shipyard                Kochi                 Naval & Passenger Ships

6. Why are automobile industries preferably located near iron and steel industries? Support your answer with an example.
Ans. Automobile industries require bulky raw material like steel plates in a large quantity. In order to reduce transportation costs, automobile industries are located near iron and steel industries. For example, Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd. (TELCO) is located in Jamshedpur near TISCO.

7. Mention two centres for each of the following.

a. Two wheelers
Ans. Gurgaon and Pune

b. Cars
Ans. Gurgaon and Halol

c. Trucks
Ans. Jamshedpur and Chennai

Where are the following manufactured in India?
a. Diesel locomotives
Ans. Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi

b. Electric Locomotives
Ans. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Asansol and BHEL, Bhopal

c. Coaches
Ans. Integral Coach Factory, Perambur (Tamil Nadu) and Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala (Punjab)

Question. Which company manufactures aircrafts in India?
Ans. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL)

Question. Mention one unique feature of the aircraft industry in India.
Ans. HAL has 11 manufacturing units. However, for security reasons. Each unit manufactures only a few
parts of an airplane at a time.

Question. Mention four centres of the aircraft industry in India.
Ans. Bangalore, Kanpur, Nasik, Hyderabad, Lucknow

Question. What are the products of the heavy electrical industry? Mention one industry along with its location for each of the products.
Ans. The products of the heavy electrical industry are turbines, generators, transformers, switchgears and cables. BHEL, Bhopal – Transformers, switchgears, generators Hindustan Cables Ltd, Rupnarayanpur – Cables

Petrochemicals Industry

Question. What is the raw material for a petrochemical industry? Why is this industry located near a petroleum refinery?
Ans. The raw material for a petrochemical industry is petroleum. This industry is located near a petroleum refinery for the want of raw material.

Question. What are the products of a petrochemical industry?
Ans. The products of the petrochemical industry are PVC, poly propylene, poly ethane, benzene, naptha, synthetic rubber, synthetic leather, etc.

Question. Mention a few conventional products which can be replaced by products of the petrochemical industry.
Ans. The following are a few examples of the products of the petrochemical industry replacing conventional products.
a. Wooden furniture can be replaced by plastic furniture.
b. Natural leather can be replaced by synthetic leather.
c. Steel pipes can be replaced by PVC pipes

Question. Why are the products of the petrochemical industry cheaper?
Ans. The raw material is a waste of the petroleum refinery and as such is quite cheap. In addition, all these products can be recycled, which makes them cost effective.

Question. In what way does the petrochemical industry reduce pressure on the environment?
Ans. By replacing conventional products like wood and steel, products of the petrochemical industry reduce pressure on lumbering and mining respectively. Additionally, the duration of utility of these products is further increased due to their recyclable value.

Question. Mention 5 important centres of the petrochemical industry in India.
Ans. Important centres of the petrochemical industry in India are
1. Union Carbide Ltd., Trombay, Maharashtra
2. IPCL, Vadodara, Gujarat
3. Petrofils India Ltd., Vadodara, Gujarat
4. Petrochemical Complex, Bongaigaon, Assam
5. Hindustan Organic Chemicals, Raigad, Maharashtra

Electronics Industry

Question. Where does the raw material for the electronics industry come from?
Ans. The raw material for the electronics industry mainly comes for the petrochemical industry in the form of plastic and from the iron and steel industry in the form of steel sheets.

Question. Why is the electronics industry important for a country like India?
Ans. The electronics industry is important for a country like India because of the following reasons.
a. It can be set up on a very small scale
b. It gives employment to a very large number of people who are educated and skilled

Question. What is the most important requirement of the electronics industry? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans. The most important requirement of the electronics industry is the availability of skilled manpower. This is because of the essence of assembling techniques and innovation in this industry.

Question. Name two centres of the electronics in India.
Ans. Bangalore and Hyderabad

Question. State the importance of Electronics in the field of
va. Space Technology
b. Entertainment.
c. Defence

Question. Name four areas other than entertainment, which have been given a new dimension by the electronics industry.
The areas which have been given a new dimension by the electronics industry are:
1. Consumer Electronics, 2. Computers, 3. Software, 4. Space Technology

Question. What do you mean by consumer electronics? State the importance of manpower in this industry.
Ans. Consumer electronics includes those items which can be sold to consumers directly such as televisions, refrigerators, DVD players, mobile phones, etc. This industry thrives heavily on innovation. Hence the availability of skilled manpower in this industry is highly important.

Question. What are the components of the communication and broadcasting industry?
Ans. Telephones, mobile phones, optical fibres, fax machines, etc.

Question. What is the future of the communication and broadcasting industry in India?
Ans. The communications and broadcasting industry has a great future in India. This is due to the rapid growth of population and the plethora of features and services provided by the industry.

Question. What is the future of the computer and software industry in India?
Ans. The computer industry has a great future in India. This is due to the following reasons.
a. Growth of population
b. Large English speaking population
c. Increasing utility of computers in various fields
d. Alternative of using the computer for self employment

Question. Which factors have contributed to the growth of software industry in India in the recent times?
Ans. The following factors have contributed to the growth of software industry in the recent times.
i. Large English Speaking population
ii. Highly skilled manpower available at very economical rates
iii. Very less investment to set up a software manufacturing unit
iv. Spurt of areas in which computers can be used

Question. Name two important centres of the software industry in India.
Bangalore and Hyderabad

Question. What are the components of space technology in India?
Ans. Following comprise of space technology in India.
i. INSAT (Indian National Satellite)
ii. IRSS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite)
iii. PSLV (Polar Space Launching Vehicle)
iv. GSLV (Geo-stationary Space Launching Vehicle)

Question. Mention a few important areas in which space technology plays an important role.
Ans. Space technology plays an important role in defence, communications and broadcasting, meteorology and education.

Question. Mention a few important centres of space technology in India
Ans. Following are a few important centres of space technology in India.
i. ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), Bangalore and Ahmedabad
ii. SAC (Space Applications Centre), Ahmadabad
iii. NRSA (National Remote Sensing Agency), Hyderabad

Question. What is the status of development of the space technology in India?
Ans. The Indian Space Program is self reliant. Today India is amongst the top five nations with regard to development of space technology.

Question. Name the steel plants that were set up with Russian collaboration.
Answer: Bhilai Iron and Steel Plant.

Question. Where is the petrochemical plant of the Bongaigaon petrochemicals Ltd. located? What is the main product of this unit?
Answer: It is located at Bongaigaon in Assam. The main product is Polyester fibre.

Question. What is the role of manganese in the process of making steel?
Answer: Manganese is used for converting pig iron into steel through the process of deoxidation. It gives toughness to steel.

Question. Explain three reasons as to why there is a large concentration of iron and steel plants in the Chhota Nagpur Region.
Answer: Three reasons for large concentration of iron and steel plants in the Chhota Nagpur Region are :
(i) Availability of raw iron ore from Singbhum and others regions.
(ii) Availability of coal for power from Damodar valley.
(iii) Availability of cheap labour from highly populated areas of Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal.

Question. What is ‘pig-iron’ ?
Answer: Iron derived from blast furnaces by the mixture of iron-ore, coking coal and limestone. It contains large quantities of impurities.

Question. Which river provides water to the township of Jamshedpur ?
Answer: Kharkai and Subarnarekha.

Question. Mention the factors which have helped Jamshedpur to develop into India’s major centre of steel production.
Answer: (i) Jamshedpur is most ideally located with respect to iron ore, flux and fuel supplies which are obtained within 175 km of it.
(ii) Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers which never run dry throughout the year supply a continuous stream of water for cooling purposes.
(iii) Availability of market which is not only an important market for iron and steel goods but also has facilities for export of finish goods.

Question. Which cities are the centres of the Indian Entertainment technology?
Answer: They are Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata

Question. Which seaport serves the region of Jamshedpur ?
Answer: Kolkata port.

Question. Name two raw materials used in the petrochemical industry and state two advantages of petrochemical products.
Answer: Naphtha, Propylene, Ethylene and Benzene are the raw materials used in the petrochemical industry.
Advantages :
(i) They are durable and cheaper.
(ii) They are not dependent on agricultural raw materials. Hence there is no fluctuation in production due to climatic factors.

Question. Where is the petrochemical plant of Petrofils Co-operatives Ltd. (IPCL) located? What is the main product of this unit?
Answer: It is located at Vadodara. The main product is Polyester yarn.

Question. Which organization is the apex body of India’s space science programme?
Answer: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the apex body.

Question. Why are traditional raw materials being replaced by petrochemical products ? OR ‘Traditional raw materials are being replaced by petro chemical product.’ Give reason.
Answer: (i) Petrochemicals are cost-effective, economically stable, cheaper as they are produced on a mass scale.
(ii) Its raw material are easily available, not dependent on agricultural raw material as in the case of jute.
(iii) Therefore, traditional raw materials like wood, glass and metals are being replaced by petrochemical products.

Question. Name two major steel plants in Public Sector.
Answer: The major steel plants in public sector are as follows :
(i) The Bhilai Steel Plant, (ii) The Rourkela Steel Plant,
(iii) The Durgapur Steel Plant, (iv) Bokaro Steel Plant,
(v) The Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO), and
(vi) Visveswaraya Iron and Steel Limited (VISL)

Question. What two advantages do the Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant have over the other Steel Plants in the public sector?
Answer: Two advantages of Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant, over the other Steel Plant are :
(a) It is a major export oriented steel plant and takes full advantage of its coastal location.
(b) It is the second largest producer of iron and steel in the country.

Question. Identify the following iron and steel plants :
(i) The steel plant built the German co-operation.
(ii) The integrated steel plant with an advantage of coastal location.
Answer: (i) Rourkela steel plant (Odisha).
(ii) Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Question. Name one integrated iron and steel plant in the private sector. Where does it obtain its iron and coal from ?
Answer: Tata Iron and Steel company. It obtains iron ore from Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Mayurbhanj and Bonai in Odisha. Coal is secured from Jharia in Jharkhand.

Question. What are the main products manufactured by Electronic Corporation of India Ltd. (ECIL), Hyderabad?
Answer: The main products are equipment, related to Computer technology, agricultural technology, nuclear technology and medical fields.

Question. What is the significance of the Electronics Industry in recent times ?
Answer: (i) The Electronics Industry covers a wide range of products including television, transistor, cellular telecom, computer, defence, railways, meteorological equipment, space research as well as medical equipments.
(ii) It has revolutionized the life style of the Indian masses in the recent past.

Question. Which is the oldest and privately owned steel plant ?
Answer: Tata iron and steel plant is the oldest and privately owned steel plant in India.

Question. Define a mini steel plant.
Answer: (i) Mini steel plants usually have smaller operational units as compared to the integrated steel plants.
(ii) They use cheaply available scrap iron in electric furnaces, which cater the local market, and hence produce fewer items like stainless steel, alloy, steel, etc.

Question. Why is the Government of India promoting and planning to set up more mini steel plants in India ?
Answer: The Government of India is promoting and planning to set up more mini steel plants because these plants have the following advantages:
(i) They use scrap iron which is easily available and is comparatively cheap.
(ii) They are dependent on electric power so they do not cause pollution.
(iii) They do not require heavy investment.
(iv) Since mini steel plants use scrap iron from integrated steel plants they need not be located near the source of raw material.
(v) These plants can meet the demands of local market and reduce pressure on large plants. Some of the mini steel plants are located at Kanpur, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune and Ranch

Question. Name the states that provide labour force to Jamshedpur.
Answer: Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh.

Question. Where is the petrochemical plant of The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IPCL) located? What sarelhe main products of this unit?
Answer: It is located at Panipat and in Gujarat. The main products are- Benzene, purified Tereptalic Acid and Naptha.

Question. Why has the electronics industry grown in importance ?
Answer: (i) The electronic products like telephone and internet services have made communication easy and fast, so the demand for such commodities is high.
(ii) Industrial and technological development has also increased the demand for electronic products.
(iii) It does wonders in the field of entertainment, defence equipment and medical diagnosis.

Question. Which is the largest mineral based industry in India ? Why is it called a basic industry ?
Answer: The largest mineral based industry in India is iron and steel industry.
(i) Iron and steel industry is known as the basic industry as it forms the backbone of the modern industry.
(ii) It is used to manufacture industrial machinery, railway tracks, dams, etc. which helps in industrialization and economic development of the country.

Question. Where is the petrochemical plant of Haldia Pertochemicals Ltd. located? What are the main products of this unit?
Answer: It is at Haldia in West Bengal. The main products are Benzene, butadiene and cyclopentane.

Question. What are Petrochemicals ? Name any two products made from petrochemicals.
Answer: Petrochemicals are chemicals derived from petroleum, L.P.G. and coal.
Products – Synthetics, fibre, plastics.