Hint: Diamond mining in India dates back to the ancient times when a large amount of the diamonds mined in the world could be sourced back to India. Before diamonds were discovered in Brazil in 1726, India was the one of the only countries where diamonds could be mined. The diamond cutting and polishing industry in India was also well-known mainly the centre at Surat, Gujarat.
Complete answer: Option A: is incorrect. No diamond mines are located in the state of Uttar Pradesh
Option B: is correct. Madhya Pradesh is known for the only industrial-scale diamond mine in India which is the Majhgawan mines near the town of Panna in the Bundelkhand area. The mine has a capacity to produce almost 84,000 carats per year and is owned by the central National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC). The Bunder diamond deposits is another upcoming project in the state.
Option C: is incorrect. Similar to Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu does not have any diamond mines.
Option D: is incorrect. Historically, diamond mining in India took off when deposits were found along the banks of the Krishna River mainly in Golkonda in Andhra Pradesh. This area located in the suburbs of Hyderabad became the world’s largest centre for diamond cutting and trading.
Therefore, The correct answer is Option B.
Note: As of 2016, the largest producers of diamonds in the world are Russia, Botswana, Australia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Canada. In 2019, an estimate of 142 million carats of diamond have been produced by mining and the estimated worldwide reserves of diamonds are about 1.2 billion carats.
