CBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 PDF Notes – Minerals and Energy Resources 2026-27

These Minerals and Energy Resources Class 10 notes cover Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 completely as per the 2026-27 NCERT book: what minerals are, their modes of occurrence, rat-hole mining, ferrous minerals (iron ore belts and manganese), non-ferrous minerals (copper and bauxite), non-metallic minerals (mica) and rock minerals (limestone), hazards of mining, conservation of minerals, conventional energy (coal, petroleum, natural gas, electricity) and non-conventional energy (nuclear, solar, wind, biogas, tidal and geothermal), and conservation of energy.

You also get iron ore belts, minerals and energy tables, coal types, a map-work list, NCERT-style questions with answers, 10 MCQs and a free PDF with no signup.

Use the table of contents below to jump to the part you need, or read top to bottom for a complete revision of the chapter.

Table of Contents

• Chapter Overview
• Important Topics and Concepts
• Minerals at a Glance
• Conventional vs Non-conventional Energy
• Map Work: Minerals and Energy
• Types of Coal in India
• Important Definitions and Terms
• Short Answer Questions
• Long Answer Questions
• MCQs with Answers
• Quick Revision Points
• Chapter Summary
• Exam Tips and PYQ Pattern
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

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Chapter Overview

Almost everything we use, from a tiny pin to a towering building, a ship, railway lines, vehicles and even our food and toothpaste, contains minerals. Life processes cannot occur without minerals: though they form only about 0.3 per cent of our nutrient intake, without them we could not use the other 99.7 per cent.

The chapter explains how minerals occur and where major minerals are found in India, the hazards of mining and why minerals must be conserved. It then studies conventional and non-conventional sources of energy and the need for a sustainable energy path.

Important Topics and Concepts

What is a mineral?

• Geologists define a mineral as a “homogeneous, naturally occurring substance with a definable internal structure.”
• Minerals range from the hardest diamond to the softest talc; physical and chemical conditions of formation give them different colours, hardness, crystal forms, lustre and density.
• Rocks are combinations of minerals; limestone consists of a single mineral, but most rocks have several. Over 2,000 minerals have been identified.
• Geographers study the distribution of minerals and related economic activities; geologists study their formation, age and composition.

Modes of occurrence of minerals

• Minerals usually occur in ores: accumulations of a mineral mixed with other elements, concentrated enough to make extraction commercially viable.
• Veins and lodes: in igneous and metamorphic rocks, in cracks, crevices, faults or joints; smaller ones are veins, larger ones lodes. Tin, copper, zinc and lead come from them.
• Beds or layers: in sedimentary rocks through deposition and concentration in horizontal strata, such as coal and some iron ore; gypsum, potash salt and sodium salt form by evaporation in arid regions.
• Residual mass: decomposition of surface rocks and removal of soluble constituents leaves weathered material containing ores, such as bauxite.
• Placer deposits: alluvial deposits in sands of valley floors and the base of hills containing minerals not corroded by water, such as gold, silver, tin and platinum.
• Ocean waters: common salt, magnesium and bromine; ocean beds are rich in manganese nodules.

Rat-hole mining

Most minerals in India are nationalised and can be extracted only with government permission. But in tribal areas of north-east India, minerals are owned by individuals or communities. In Meghalaya, which has large deposits of coal, iron ore, limestone and dolomite, coal mining in Jowai and Cherrapunjee is done by family members through long narrow tunnels called rat-hole mining. The National Green Tribunal has declared it illegal and recommended that it be stopped immediately.

Distribution of minerals in India

• India’s mineral resources are rich and varied but unevenly distributed.
• Peninsular rocks contain most reserves of coal, metallic minerals, mica and many non-metallic minerals.
• Sedimentary rocks on the western and eastern flanks of the peninsula, in Gujarat and Assam, have most petroleum deposits.
• Rajasthan has reserves of many non-ferrous minerals; the alluvial plains of north India are almost devoid of economic minerals.
• Concentration of mineral in the ore, ease of extraction and closeness to market decide when a deposit becomes a mine.

Ferrous minerals: iron ore

• Ferrous minerals account for about three-fourths of the value of metallic mineral production and support metallurgical industries; India exports substantial quantities.
• Iron ore is the basic mineral and backbone of industrial development.
• Magnetite is the finest ore with up to 70 per cent iron and excellent magnetic qualities, valuable in the electrical industry.
• Hematite is the most important industrial ore by quantity used, with 50–60 per cent iron.
• In 2018–19, about 97 per cent of iron ore came from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Jharkhand.

Major iron ore belts

• Odisha-Jharkhand belt: high-grade hematite at Badampahar mines (Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar, Odisha); Gua and Noamundi in Singbhum (Jharkhand).
• Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt (Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra): very high-grade hematite in the Bailadila hills of Bastar, with 14 deposits of super high-grade ore; exported to Japan and South Korea via Visakhapatnam port. Bailadila looks like the hump of an ox.
• Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru-Tumakuru belt (Karnataka): Kudremukh mines in the Western Ghats are a 100 per cent export unit and among the largest deposits in the world; ore goes as slurry through a pipeline to a port near Mangaluru. Kudre means horse in Kannada.
• Maharashtra-Goa belt: Goa and Ratnagiri district; ores are of lower quality but efficiently exploited; exported through Marmagao port.

Manganese

Manganese is mainly used in making steel and ferro-manganese alloy; nearly 10 kg is needed for one tonne of steel. It is also used for bleaching powder, insecticides and paints. In 2018–19, Madhya Pradesh produced about 33 per cent and Maharashtra about 27 per cent of India’s manganese.

Non-ferrous minerals: copper and bauxite

• India’s reserves and production of non-ferrous minerals (copper, bauxite, lead, zinc, gold) are not very satisfactory, though they are vital for metallurgical, engineering and electrical industries.
• Copper: India is critically deficient. Being malleable, ductile and a good conductor, it is used in electrical cables, electronics and chemicals. Leading producers: Balaghat mines (Madhya Pradesh), Khetri mines (Rajasthan) and Singhbhum (Jharkhand).
• Bauxite: a clay-like substance from which alumina and aluminium are obtained; formed by decomposition of rocks rich in aluminium silicates. Aluminium combines strength with extreme lightness, good conductivity and malleability. Deposits: Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills and Bilaspur-Katni plateau. Odisha was the largest producer in 2018–19 (about 65 per cent); Panchpatmali deposits in Koraput are the most important.

Non-metallic and rock minerals

• Mica: made of plates or leaves that split into very thin sheets; clear, black, green, red, yellow or brown. Its di-electric strength, low power loss, insulating properties and resistance to high voltage make it indispensable for electric and electronic industries. Found on the northern edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau; the Koderma-Gaya-Hazaribagh belt of Jharkhand is the leading producer; also Ajmer (Rajasthan) and the Nellore belt (Andhra Pradesh).
• Limestone: found with rocks of calcium carbonate or calcium and magnesium carbonates in sedimentary rocks; basic raw material for cement and essential for smelting iron ore in blast furnaces.

Hazards of mining

• Dust and noxious fumes make miners vulnerable to pulmonary diseases.
• Collapsing mine roofs, inundation and fires in coal mines are constant threats.
• Water sources get contaminated; dumping of waste and slurry degrades land and soil and pollutes streams and rivers.
• Stricter safety regulations and environmental laws are needed to stop mining from becoming a ‘killer industry’.

Conservation of minerals

• Workable mineral deposits are only about one per cent of the earth’s crust, and they took millions of years to form; replenishment is infinitely slow compared to consumption.
• Minerals are finite and non-renewable; continued extraction raises costs as ores come from greater depths and decline in quality.
• We must use minerals in a planned and sustainable way, develop technology to use low-grade ores at low cost, and recycle metals, use scrap and find substitutes.

Energy resources: classification

• Energy is needed to cook, light, heat, run vehicles and drive machinery.
• Conventional sources: firewood, cattle dung cake, coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity (hydel and thermal).
• Non-conventional sources: solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas and atomic energy.
• Firewood and dung cake meet more than 70 per cent of rural household energy needs, but this is becoming difficult as forests shrink, and dung cake wastes valuable manure.

Coal

• Coal is India’s most abundant fossil fuel, used for power, industry and domestic needs; India depends heavily on it.
• Types by compression: peat (low carbon, high moisture, low heat), lignite (low-grade brown coal; main reserves at Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, used for electricity), bituminous (most popular commercial coal; metallurgical coal is high-grade bituminous for blast furnaces) and anthracite (highest quality hard coal).
• Gondwana coal (a little over 200 million years old), mainly metallurgical, is in the Damodar valley (West Bengal–Jharkhand): Jharia, Raniganj and Bokaro; also in the Godavari, Mahanadi, Son and Wardha valleys.
• Tertiary coal (about 55 million years old) occurs in Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
• Coal is bulky and loses weight on use, so heavy industries and thermal power stations are located on or near coalfields.

Petroleum

• Next major energy source after coal; provides fuel, lubricants and raw materials; refineries act as a ‘nodal industry’ for synthetic textiles, fertilisers and chemicals.
• Occurs in anticlines and fault traps in tertiary rock formations; oil collects in porous limestone or sandstone, held by non-porous layers; gas usually lies above the oil.
• Major areas: Mumbai High, Gujarat (Ankleshwar is the most important field) and Assam, the oldest oil-producing state (Digboi, Naharkatiya, Moran-Hugrijan).

Natural gas

• Found with petroleum and used as domestic and industrial fuel, for power, in chemical, petrochemical and fertiliser industries, and increasingly as CNG for transport and PNG for cooking.
• Major reserves: Mumbai High and allied fields, Cambay basin, and the Krishna-Godavari basin on the east coast.
• The first 1,700 km Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) pipeline by GAIL linked Mumbai High and Bassein gas fields with fertiliser, power and industrial complexes in western and northern India.
• Cross-country pipelines have grown from 1,700 km to 18,500 km and are expected to exceed 34,000 km as a national gas grid, including the North-east.

Electricity

• Per capita electricity consumption is an index of development.
• Hydroelectricity is generated by fast-flowing water, a renewable resource; projects include Bhakra Nangal, Damodar Valley Corporation and Kopili Hydel Project.
• Thermal electricity uses coal, petroleum and natural gas, which are non-renewable fossil fuels.

Non-conventional sources of energy

• Rising oil and gas prices, possible shortages and environmental problems from fossil fuels make renewable energy essential. India has abundant sunlight, water, wind and biomass and large renewable energy programmes.
• Nuclear energy: obtained by altering the structure of atoms; uranium and thorium from Jharkhand and the Aravalli ranges of Rajasthan; monazite sands of Kerala are rich in thorium.
• Solar energy: photovoltaic technology converts sunlight into electricity; popular in rural and remote areas, reducing dependence on firewood and dung cakes.
• Wind power: the largest wind farm cluster is in Tamil Nadu from Nagarcoil to Madurai; also Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and Lakshadweep; Nagarcoil and Jaisalmer use wind energy effectively.
• Biogas: from shrubs, farm, animal and human waste; higher thermal efficiency than kerosene, dung cake and charcoal; ‘gobar gas plants’ give farmers both energy and better manure.
• Tidal energy: floodgate dams across inlets trap water at high tide and release it through turbines; suitable sites are the Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Kachchh and the Sunderbans.
• Geothermal energy: heat from the earth’s interior; hot groundwater turns to steam to drive turbines; experimental projects at Manikaran in the Parvati valley (Himachal Pradesh) and Puga Valley (Ladakh).

Conservation of energy resources

• Every sector needs energy, and consumption has risen steadily since Independence.
• Promotion of energy conservation and increased use of renewable energy are the twin planks of sustainable energy.
• India is one of the least energy-efficient countries in the world.
• Citizens can use public transport, switch off electricity when not needed, use power-saving devices and use non-conventional energy. “Energy saved is energy produced.”

Minerals at a Glance

Quick revision table for one-mark and map questions.

Conventional vs Non-conventional Energy

A common comparison question.

Map Work: Minerals and Energy

Practise these on an outline map of India.

• Iron ore mines: Mayurbhanj, Durg, Bailadila, Ballari, Kudremukh
• Coal mines: Raniganj, Bokaro, Talcher, Neyveli
• Oil fields: Digboi, Naharkatiya, Mumbai High, Bassein, Kalol, Ankleshwar
• Bauxite deposits: Koraput, Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills
• Mica deposits: Koderma, Ajmer, Nellore
• Nuclear power plants: Narora, Rawatbhata, Kakrapar, Tarapur, Kaiga, Kalpakkam
• Thermal power plants: Namrup, Singrauli, Ramagundam

Types of Coal in India

Important Definitions and Terms

Short Answer Questions

Q1. Distinguish between ferrous and non-ferrous minerals with examples.

Ferrous minerals contain iron, such as iron ore and manganese; they make up about three-fourths of the value of metallic mineral production. Non-ferrous minerals do not contain iron, such as copper, bauxite, lead, zinc and gold.

Q2. How do minerals occur in igneous and metamorphic rocks?

They occur in cracks, crevices, faults or joints. Smaller occurrences are veins and larger ones lodes, formed when molten and gaseous minerals are forced upward through cavities and cool. Tin, copper, zinc and lead come from them.

Q3. What are placer deposits?

Placer deposits are alluvial deposits of minerals found in the sands of valley floors and the base of hills. They contain minerals not corroded by water, such as gold, silver, tin and platinum.

Q4. Why is mica important?

Mica splits into very thin sheets and has excellent di-electric strength, low power loss, insulating properties and resistance to high voltage, making it indispensable for electric and electronic industries.

Q5. Why are thermal power stations located on or near coalfields?

Coal is bulky and loses weight on use as it is reduced to ash. Locating power stations and heavy industries near coalfields reduces transport costs.

Q6. What are the hazards of mining?

Miners inhale dust and fumes and suffer pulmonary diseases; roofs may collapse and mines may flood or catch fire; water sources get contaminated; and dumping of waste degrades land and pollutes rivers.

Q7. Why do we need to conserve mineral resources?

Workable deposits are only about one per cent of the crust and take millions of years to form, while consumption is fast. Minerals are finite and non-renewable, and extraction becomes costlier as quality falls.

Q8. Why is biogas useful in rural areas?

Biogas from farm and animal waste has higher thermal efficiency than kerosene, dung cake and charcoal. Gobar gas plants provide energy and improved manure and prevent the loss of trees and manure from burning firewood and dung cakes.

Long Answer Questions

Q1. Why is there a pressing need to use non-conventional sources of energy in India? Explain with examples.

Growing energy consumption has made India dependent on fossil fuels, whose rising prices and possible shortages threaten energy security and economic growth.

Fossil fuels cause serious environmental problems such as pollution.

India has abundant sunlight, wind, water and biomass and large renewable energy programmes.

Solar energy through photovoltaic technology suits rural and remote areas; wind farms from Nagarcoil to Madurai and in Jaisalmer generate power.

Biogas plants give energy and manure; tidal energy can be used in the Gulfs of Khambhat and Kachchh and the Sunderbans.

Nuclear energy from uranium and thorium, and geothermal projects at Manikaran and Puga Valley, add to clean energy.

Q2. Describe the distribution of iron ore in India.

Odisha-Jharkhand belt: high-grade hematite at Badampahar (Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar) and Gua and Noamundi (Singbhum).

Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt: super high-grade hematite in the Bailadila hills, exported to Japan and South Korea via Visakhapatnam.

Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru-Tumakuru belt: Kudremukh, a 100% export unit; ore sent as slurry to a port near Mangaluru.

Maharashtra-Goa belt: lower-quality ores efficiently exploited and exported through Marmagao.

In 2018–19, about 97% of iron ore came from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Jharkhand.

Q3. How can we conserve energy resources?

Use energy judiciously, as India is one of the least energy-efficient countries.

Promote energy conservation and renewable energy, the twin planks of sustainable energy.

Use public transport instead of individual vehicles.

Switch off lights and appliances when not in use and use power-saving devices.

Use non-conventional sources such as solar, wind and biogas.

Remember that energy saved is energy produced.

MCQs with Answers

1. Which mineral is formed by decomposition of rocks, leaving a residual mass of weathered material?
(a) Coal (b) Bauxite (c) Gold (d) Zinc
Answer: (b) Bauxite

2. Koderma in Jharkhand is the leading producer of
(a) Bauxite (b) Mica (c) Iron ore (d) Copper
Answer: (b) Mica

3. Minerals are deposited and accumulated in the strata of
(a) Sedimentary rocks (b) Metamorphic rocks (c) Igneous rocks (d) None of the above
Answer: (a) Sedimentary rocks

4. Which mineral is contained in monazite sand?
(a) Oil (b) Uranium (c) Thorium (d) Coal
Answer: (c) Thorium

5. The finest iron ore with up to 70% iron is
(a) Hematite (b) Magnetite (c) Limonite (d) Siderite
Answer: (b) Magnetite

6. Kudremukh iron ore mines are located in
(a) Odisha (b) Chhattisgarh (c) Karnataka (d) Goa
Answer: (c) Karnataka

7. Which is the oldest oil-producing state of India?
(a) Gujarat (b) Maharashtra (c) Assam (d) Rajasthan
Answer: (c) Assam

8. The principal lignite reserves of India are at
(a) Jharia (b) Neyveli (c) Raniganj (d) Bokaro
Answer: (b) Neyveli

9. The largest wind farm cluster in India is in
(a) Rajasthan (b) Gujarat (c) Tamil Nadu (d) Karnataka
Answer: (c) Tamil Nadu

10. A geothermal energy experimental project is located at
(a) Puga Valley, Ladakh (b) Gulf of Khambhat (c) Nagarcoil (d) Neyveli
Answer: (a) Puga Valley, Ladakh

Quick Revision Points

• Mineral: homogeneous, naturally occurring, definable internal structure.
• Modes: veins and lodes, beds and layers, residual mass (bauxite), placer deposits, ocean waters.
• Rat-hole mining in Meghalaya declared illegal by NGT.
• Ferrous: three-fourths of metallic mineral value.
• Magnetite up to 70% iron; hematite 50–60%.
• Iron belts: Odisha-Jharkhand, Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur (Bailadila), Ballari-Chitradurga (Kudremukh), Maharashtra-Goa.
• Manganese: 10 kg per tonne of steel.
• Copper: Balaghat, Khetri, Singhbhum; India deficient.
• Bauxite: Odisha (Panchpatmali, Koraput) largest.
• Mica: Koderma-Gaya-Hazaribagh, Ajmer, Nellore.
• Limestone: cement and blast furnaces.
• Coal: peat, lignite (Neyveli), bituminous, anthracite; Gondwana (Damodar) and tertiary (North-east).
• Petroleum: anticlines and fault traps; Mumbai High, Ankleshwar, Digboi.
• Gas: HVJ pipeline 1,700 km; now 18,500 km.
• Non-conventional: nuclear, solar, wind (Nagarcoil), biogas, tidal (Khambhat, Kachchh), geothermal (Manikaran, Puga).
• Energy saved is energy produced.

Chapter Summary

Minerals are homogeneous, naturally occurring substances found in ores as veins and lodes, beds, residual masses, placer deposits and in ocean waters. India has rich but unevenly distributed minerals: iron ore and manganese (ferrous), copper and bauxite (non-ferrous), mica and limestone. Mining is hazardous for miners and the environment, and minerals must be conserved because they are finite and non-renewable.

Energy comes from conventional sources such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity, and non-conventional sources such as nuclear, solar, wind, biogas, tidal and geothermal energy. Rising demand, fossil fuel shortages and pollution make renewable energy and energy conservation the twin planks of a sustainable energy future.

Exam Tips and PYQ Pattern

• Map work from this chapter is heavily tested: practise iron ore, coal, oil fields, bauxite, mica, nuclear and thermal plants.
• Learn the NCERT MCQs: bauxite (residual mass), Koderma (mica), sedimentary rocks, monazite (thorium).
• Long questions often ask why non-conventional energy is needed and how to conserve minerals and energy.
• Know magnetite vs hematite iron content and the four iron ore belts.
• Use precise names like Bailadila, Kudremukh, Neyveli, Digboi and Puga Valley.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the modes of occurrence of minerals?

Veins and lodes, beds or layers, residual mass of weathered material, placer deposits and ocean waters.

What is the difference between conventional and non-conventional energy?

Conventional energy comes from traditional, mostly non-renewable sources like coal and petroleum; non-conventional energy comes from renewable sources like solar, wind, tidal, geothermal and biogas.

Which state is the largest producer of bauxite?

Odisha, with the Panchpatmali deposits in Koraput district.

Is this chapter in the 2026-27 syllabus?

Yes, it is Chapter 5 of the Class 10 Geography book for 2026-27, with important map work.

Can I download these notes as a PDF?

Yes. Use the free PDF link at the top of this page. No signup is required.

Conclusion

Minerals and Energy Resources shows how India’s development depends on finite minerals and energy, and why conservation and renewable energy are essential. Revise the minerals table, iron ore belts, coal types and energy sources, and practise the map work thoroughly.

More Notes: Class 10 Geography Chapter 4: Agriculture notes | Class 10 Geography Chapter 6: Manufacturing Industries notes | Class 10 Geography Chapter 4: Agriculture notes | Class 10 Geography Chapter 6: Manufacturing Industries notes | All Class 10 Social Science notes

Author Bio: Written and reviewed by the Nextoper Editorial Team, a group of CBSE social science educators who build chapter notes directly from the NCERT textbook and past board paper patterns.

Freshness Note: These notes follow the NCERT Class 10 Geography textbook, Contemporary India – II (Reprint 2026-27), and the CBSE syllabus for the 2026-27 session. Last checked on 8 November 2026.