With reference to the management of minor minerals in India, consider the following statements:1.Sand is a 'minor mineral' according to the prevailing law in the country.2.State Governments have the power to grant mining leases of minor minerals, but the powers regarding the

1. A

   1 and 3 only

   (a) 1 and 3 only. Sand is a minor mineral under section 3(e) of the MMDR Act, 1957. State Governments may frame rules to prevent illegal mining of minor minerals (section 23C). Statement 2 is false: States, not the Centre, make the grant-of-concession rules for minor minerals under section 15. That pair is the official key.

2. B

   2 and 3 only

   (b) 2 and 3 only. Statement 2 wrongly parks rule-making for minor-mineral leases with the Centre. Not the key.

3. C

   3 only

   (c) 3 only. Statement 1 is also true: sand is a minor mineral. Dropping 1 is not the key.

4. D

   1,2 and 3

   (d) 1, 2 and 3. Statement 2 is false, so the all-correct code fails.

Summary. Official key is (a). Sand is a minor mineral. States grant minor-mineral leases and write the rules, including rules against illegal mining. The Centre notifies what counts as a minor mineral; it does not sit on ordinary State lease rules. Statement 2 is the trap. Honour (a).