To assess the natural radioactivity levels and associated health risks in beach sand from Kuakata Sea Beach, this study performed a comprehensive radiological analysis of systematically collected sand samples using high-purity germanium (HPGe) γ-ray spectroscopy. The average (range) radioactivity levels of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in the examined sand samples were 57 (37–105), 121 (76–231), and 210 (181–270) Bq kg−1, respectively, thus markedly higher than the world average values of 30, 35, and 400 Bq kg–1 for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, respectively. The evaluation of different radiological risk parameters indicates values (maximum radium equivalent activity of 449.27 Bq kg–1, maximum outdoor absorbed dose rate of 205.58 nGy h–1, and maximum external hazard index of 1.21) much higher than the recommended levels, signifying that heavy minerals rich sands could pose a substantial health risk to individuals. The current findings have the potential to generate interest and exploration in rare-earth resources, particularly for their applications in the electronics industry, and thorium based nuclear fuel cycle resources for the next generation nuclear energy industry.