Case Study
Passage with linked questions
Case Set 1
Case AnalysisPassage
Riya visited a steel plant in Jharkhand for a school project. The plant manager explained that iron ore is the backbone of industrial development. He showed her two types of iron ore: one was a shiny black ore with up to 70% iron content used in electrical industries, and another brownish ore that is most widely used in manufacturing steel but contains 50–60% iron. He also mentioned that in 2018–19, almost 97% of India's iron ore production came from just four states. The plant imports manganese as nearly 10 kg is needed per tonne of steel. Riya noted that the plant sources its raw ore from the Bailadila range in Chhattisgarh, which is exported to Japan and South Korea through Vishakhapatnam port when surplus.
Question 1: Name the two types of iron ore mentioned in the passage and state their iron content.
- Magnetite – iron content up to 70%, used in electrical industry
- Hematite – iron content 50–60%, most important industrial iron ore in terms of quantity used
Question 2: Name the four states that accounted for 97% of India's iron ore production in 2018–19.
- Odisha
- Chhattisgarh
- Karnataka
- Jharkhand
Question 3: Why is iron ore called the 'backbone of industrial development'? How does the Bailadila range contribute to India's iron ore economy?
- Iron ore is the primary raw material for making steel, which is used in construction, machinery, transport, and virtually all heavy industries
- The Bailadila range in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, has 14 deposits of super high-grade hematite with the best physical properties for steel making
- Iron ore from Bailadila is exported to Japan and South Korea via Vishakhapatnam port, earning valuable foreign exchange