Minerals, Wildlife, Agriculture & Geo-heritage of Rajasthan — RPSC RAS Paper II, Unit III
Weightage: The second half of the Rajasthan part of Paper II Unit III: vegetation, wildlife, biodiversity, soil resources and crops, minerals, demographics and tribes, geo-parks and geo-heritage, and tourism. Minerals and protected areas are the most reliably tested pairings.
1. Vegetation and forests
Natural vegetation follows rainfall: thorny scrub and desert vegetation in the west, and tropical dry deciduous forest in the Aravalli, the south and the south-east. Forest cover is small, only about five per cent of the state's area on recent State of Forest Reports, so conservation of what remains matters.
Two species define the state. Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) is the state tree and the "lifeline of the desert", and Rohida (Tecomella undulata) is the state flower. The Bishnoi community, guided by Guru Jambheshwar, protects trees and wildlife, and in 1730 at Khejarli, near Jodhpur, Amrita Devi Bishnoi and hundreds of others gave their lives to save khejri trees, an event often called a forerunner of the Chipko movement.
2. Wildlife and protected areas
The Godawan (Great Indian Bustard) is the state bird and is critically endangered, with a stronghold in Desert National Park (Jaisalmer-Barmer). The chinkara is the state's wild animal, and the camel has been declared the state animal in the livestock category.
| Area | Location | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve | Sawai Madhopur | Tigers, a fort in the forest |
| Sariska Tiger Reserve | Alwar | Tigers reintroduced from 2008 |
| Mukundra Hills, Ramgarh Vishdhari, Dholpur-Karauli | Kota-Chittorgarh; Bundi; Dholpur-Karauli | The newer tiger reserves |
| Keoladeo National Park | Bharatpur | Migratory birds; World Heritage Site and Ramsar site |
| Desert National Park | Jaisalmer, Barmer | Great Indian Bustard, desert fauna |
| Tal Chhapar | Churu | Blackbuck |
| Kumbhalgarh | Rajsamand, Pali | Wolf |
| National Chambal Sanctuary | Kota to Dholpur | Gharial and river dolphin |
Rajasthan's Ramsar sites include Keoladeo, Sambhar, and, added in 2025, Khichan (Phalodi, known for wintering demoiselle cranes) and Menar (Udaipur), so the count is four in recent lists.
3. Minerals
Rajasthan is one of India's most mineral-diverse states, and its position in several minerals is unique.
| Mineral | Main areas | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lead-zinc | Zawar (Udaipur), Rampura Agucha (Bhilwara), Rajpura-Dariba (Rajsamand) | Silver as a by-product; Hindustan Zinc |
| Copper | Khetri (Jhunjhunu) | Khetri Copper Complex |
| Marble | Makrana (Nagaur), Rajsamand, Kishangarh (Ajmer) | White Makrana marble was used at the Taj Mahal |
| Sandstone and granite | Dholpur, Bharatpur, Jodhpur; Jalore and Sirohi | Building stone |
| Gypsum | Bikaner, Nagaur, Jaisalmer | Nearly all of India's output |
| Rock phosphate | Jhamarkotra (Udaipur) | A major fertiliser input |
| Lignite | Palana (Bikaner); Kapurdi, Giral (Barmer) | Power-plant fuel |
| Wollastonite | Sirohi and Pali | Known largely from Rajasthan |
| Salt | Sambhar, Didwana, Pachpadra | Inland brine sources |
Rajasthan also has petroleum and gas in Barmer and Jaisalmer, discussed in the economy chapter. Mining raises revenue and jobs but also fuels conflicts over the Aravalli, groundwater, silicosis among workers and displaced communities, so regulation and rehabilitation matter.
4. Agriculture and soil resources
Crops follow soil and water: bajra, moth and guar in the sandy west; wheat, cotton and mustard in canal-irrigated areas; wheat and mustard in the eastern plains; soybean and coriander in Hadoti; and maize in the southern hills. The state's crop and livestock leadership is treated in the economy chapter.
5. Geo-heritage and tourism
The syllabus asks about the potential of UNESCO Geoparks and geo-heritage sites. The Geological Survey of India has identified geo-heritage sites across the state, and features such as the Malani igneous suite near Jodhpur and Barmer and stromatolite beds in the Aravalli are commonly cited. Rajasthan has strong tourism assets in heritage, desert, wildlife and pilgrimage, and geo-tourism could add to them if sites are protected and interpreted.
6. Demographics and tribes
Population, sex ratio, literacy and tribes are covered in the society chapter of this hub, which sets out the 2011 Census profile and the state's twelve Scheduled Tribes.
Worked example 7.1 (a 10-mark answer, ~150 words). "Describe the mineral wealth of Rajasthan and the issues related to mining."
Model answer. Rajasthan is among India's most mineral-rich states, producing metallic, non-metallic and fuel minerals.
Lead-zinc is mined at Zawar, Rampura Agucha and Rajpura-Dariba, copper at Khetri, and marble at Makrana, Rajsamand and Kishangarh. The state is known for gypsum, rock phosphate at Jhamarkotra, lignite in Bikaner and Barmer, and salt from Sambhar and other lakes, apart from oil in Barmer.
Mining supports revenue, industry and jobs, but raises problems. Illegal and unregulated mining threatens the Aravalli, depletes groundwater and harms health through silicosis. Displacement and weak rehabilitation affect local communities.
The way forward is stricter enforcement of environmental clearance, use of District Mineral Foundation funds for local development, worker safety and value addition within the state.
Common traps RPSC sets here
- Naming the wrong state animal or bird. Godawan is the bird; chinkara is the wild state animal.
- Attributing Makrana to Rajsamand. Makrana is in Nagaur district.
- Quoting the Ramsar count without a date. It changes with each designation.
- Placing Sariska's tigers as always present. They were lost and reintroduced from 2008.
Memory aids
- "Khejri, Rohida, Godawan, Chinkara": tree, flower, bird, animal.
- "Zawar, Agucha, Dariba": the lead-zinc trio.
- "Makrana is Nagaur": marble and its district.
Summary
Rajasthan's vegetation runs from desert scrub to dry deciduous forest, with the Bishnoi tradition at Khejarli as its conservation touchstone. It protects tigers, bustards, blackbuck and gharial in national parks and reserves, and has four Ramsar sites in recent lists.
Its mineral wealth spans lead-zinc, copper, marble, gypsum, rock phosphate, lignite and salt, and geo-heritage offers a tourism opportunity that needs careful protection.
Exam protocol
- Pair every mineral with its district and its distinction.
- Give protected areas as a table of place, species and status.
- End mining answers with an environmental issue and a regulatory remedy.
