Correct Option: A

Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral containing rare earth metals. It occurs usually in small isolated crystals. Monazite is an important ore for thorium, lanthanum, and cerium. It is often found in placer deposits. The deposits in India are particularly rich in monazite. The DAE expects to gather at least a million tonnes of thorium from the beaches of Kerala and Orissa, which hold 70 percent-plus of India’s estimated monazite reserve of 18 million tonnes.