SSC CGL 2025 PYQ — Question 39

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. They promote industrial growth, increasing employment opportunities.

The availability of mineral resources primarily affects the pattern of population distribution by promoting industrial growth, increasing employment opportunities.

The presence of valuable mineral resources acts as a pull factor for human settlement and population concentration.

• Industrialization and Employment: Mineral deposits necessitate the establishment of mining, processing, and allied industries (like metallurgy and manufacturing). This industrial growth creates numerous employment opportunities, attracting a large workforce and their families, leading to the rapid growth of towns and cities around the resource site.

• Infrastructure Development: To support mining and transport the extracted resources, necessary infrastructure such as railways, roads, and power generation facilities are developed, further encouraging permanent settlement.

Why Other Options are Incorrect:

• Cause people to migrate away due to harsh terrain: While some mineral sites are in harsh terrain, the economic opportunity usually overcomes this factor, causing inward migration, not outward.

• Reduce the economic value of surrounding land: Mineral exploitation typically increases the economic value of the surrounding land due to higher demand for housing and services.

• Discourage the development of transport networks: Mineral resources necessitate and encourage the rapid development of specialized transport networks (like conveyor belts and specialized rail lines) to move bulk materials.