Monazite is an ore of

Monazite is a phosphate mineral that is widely recognised as a principal source of thorium. Textbook references state that thorium is mainly obtained from monazite sands (often alongside ilmenite) in coastal heavy-mineral deposits, making monazite an important thorium ore for nuclear applications [1]. Additional educational sources explicitly note that thorium is derived from monazite and that monazite sands are radioactive due to their thorium content, underscoring the mineral’s role as a thorium-bearing ore [3]. Thus, among the given options, thorium is the element for which monazite serves as a primary ore.

Sources

1. [1] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Mineral and Energy Resources > Nuclear Energy Resources > p. 61
2. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 7: Resources > Natural Resources of India > p. 30
3. [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > ii) The West Coastal Plain > p. 65