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Renewable energy, green hydrogen and energy efficiency

मराठीत स्पष्टीकरण

Sustainable development and energy · Part 2 / 3 · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

India's clean energy targets and the 2025 milestone; solar, wind, small hydro, bioenergy, geothermal and tidal energy; storage and the Green Energy Corridor; grey, blue and green hydrogen and the National Green Hydrogen Mission; the Energy Conservation Act, BEE, PAT and star labels; biofuels, E20, SATAT and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

Each idea is explained first in Marathi (मराठी), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Marathi and revise it in English.

घरच्या स्वयंपाकासाठी दर वेळी विकत आणलेल्या सिलिंडरवरच अवलंबून राहिलो तर पैसा जातो आणि धूरही होतो. देशाची स्थितीही तशीच: विजेसाठी बहुतांश कोळसा, वाहनांसाठी आणि उद्योगांसाठी आयात केलेले तेल आणि वायू. यामुळे हवा खराब होते आणि परकीय चलनही खर्च होते. ऊन, वारा, वाहते पाणी आणि जैविक पदार्थ पुन्हा पुन्हा भरून येतात, म्हणून त्यांच्यापासून मिळणाऱ्या ऊर्जेला नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा म्हणतात. यासाठी केंद्रात स्वतंत्र मंत्रालय आहे. हा भाग लक्ष्ये, प्रत्येक स्रोत, साठवण, हायड्रोजन, बचत आणि वनस्पती व कचऱ्यापासून बनणारी इंधने क्रमाने पाहतो. (→ English: renewable energy; Ministry of New and Renewable Energy · हिन्दी: नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा; नवीन और नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा मंत्रालय)

In exam EnglishEnergy is where the idea of sustainable development from Part 1 is tested hardest. India's demand for electricity keeps rising, and for decades coal has met most of it, with imported oil and gas serving transport and industry. These fuels produce most of the country's greenhouse gases and much of its air pollution, and importing them drains foreign exchange. renewable energy, drawn from sunlight, wind, flowing water and biomass, offers a way out because its sources refill themselves. The nodal ministry is the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which became a separate ministry in 1992 and took its present name in 2006. This part covers India's targets, each major source, storage, green hydrogen, energy saving, and fuels made from plants and waste.

लक्ष्ये दोनदा वाढवली गेली: 2015 मध्ये 2022 पर्यंत 175 GW, नंतर 2021 मध्ये ग्लासगोत 2030 पर्यंत 500 GW बिगर-जीवाश्म क्षमता. 2022 च्या राष्ट्रीय पातळीवर निर्धारित योगदानानुसार स्थापित क्षमतेपैकी निम्मी बिगर-जीवाश्म असावी; हे जून 2025 मध्येच पार झाले. एक उदाहरण: गावच्या एसटीत 50 आसने असणे ही क्षमता, रोज खरोखर बसणारे प्रवासी हे उत्पादन. सौर पॅनेल रात्री चालत नाही, वारा नसेल तर पाते फिरत नाही; म्हणून उत्पादनातील त्यांचा वाटा क्षमतेतील वाट्यापेक्षा खूप कमी आहे, आणि बहुतांश वीज अजूनही कोळशापासूनच मिळते. (→ English: nationally determined contribution; installed capacity; generation; non-fossil · हिन्दी: राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर निर्धारित योगदान; स्थापित क्षमता; उत्पादन; गैर-जीवाश्म)

In exam EnglishIndia's clean energy goals have been raised twice in a decade. In 2015 the government aimed at 175 GW of renewable capacity by 2022. At the Glasgow climate conference in November 2021 it announced 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, and India's updated nationally determined contribution of August 2022 promised that about half of its installed electric power capacity would be non-fossil by 2030. Non-fossil means renewable energy plus large hydro and nuclear power. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy reported in July 2025 that this 50 per cent share had been crossed in June 2025, five years early. Capacity, however, is the most plants can produce; generation is what they actually produce. Solar panels work only in daylight and wind turbines only when the wind blows, so the non-fossil share of electricity generated stays well below its share of capacity, and coal still produces most of India's power.

आपल्याकडे वर्षातील बहुतेक दिवस कडक ऊन असते; हीच सौरऊर्जेची ताकद. 2010 मध्ये राष्ट्रीय सौर अभियान सुरू झाले आणि 2015 मध्ये लक्ष्य 100 GW केले. मोठ्या प्रकल्पांसाठी सौर पार्क जमीन, रस्ते आणि वीजवाहिन्या तयार देतात. एका शेतकऱ्याचा विचार करा: पीएम-कुसुमखाली त्याच्या पडीक जमिनीवर छोटा प्रकल्प लावता येतो, सौर पंप वापरता येतो. पीएम सूर्य घर घराच्या छतावरील पॅनेलसाठी अनुदान देते. देशातच मॉड्यूल बनवण्यासाठी प्रोत्साहन आहे. बाहेर, भारत आणि फ्रान्सने 2015 मध्ये आंतरराष्ट्रीय सौर आघाडी सुरू केली; मुख्यालय गुरुग्राममध्ये आहे. (→ English: National Solar Mission; solar parks; PM-KUSUM; PM Surya Ghar; International Solar Alliance · हिन्दी: राष्ट्रीय सौर मिशन; सौर पार्क; पीएम-कुसुम; पीएम सूर्य घर; अंतरराष्ट्रीय सौर गठबंधन)

In exam EnglishSolar energy is India's largest clean source, helped by strong sunshine on most days of the year. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, launched in January 2010 as one of the eight missions of the National Action Plan on Climate Change, began with a target of 20 GW by 2022, raised to 100 GW in 2015. The solar parks scheme of 2014 gives developers land, roads and transmission lines ready-made. PM-KUSUM (2019) helps farmers in three ways: small solar plants on barren land, stand-alone solar pumps, and solarisation of grid-connected pumps. PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (2024) subsidises rooftop panels for one crore households, which can receive up to 300 units of free electricity a month. A production-linked incentive scheme backs domestic factories for high-efficiency solar modules. Abroad, India and France launched the International Solar Alliance at the Paris conference in 2015; its headquarters is in Gurugram.

पवनचक्की म्हणजे उलटा चालणारा मोठा पंखा: वारा पाती फिरवतो आणि वीज तयार होते. वारा थोडा जोरात वाहिला तरी वीज खूप जास्त मिळते, म्हणून जागाच महत्त्वाची. जमिनीवर किनारे, पठारे, सह्याद्रीतील खिंडी; समुद्रात वारा जोरदार असतो पण खर्च जास्त. गुजरात आणि तमिळनाडू आघाडीवर आहेत; सातारा परिसरातील पवनचक्क्या आठवा. 2015 मध्ये सागरी पवन ऊर्जा धोरण, 2018 मध्ये पवन-सौर संकरित धोरण आले. ऊन दुपारी, वारा संध्याकाळी, रात्री आणि पावसाळ्यात; एकच जमीन, एकच वाहिनी वाटून घेतली तर एकाची कमतरता दुसरा भरून काढतो. (→ English: onshore; offshore; National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy · हिन्दी: तटवर्ती; अपतटीय; राष्ट्रीय पवन-सौर हाइब्रिड नीति)

In exam EnglishWind turbines turn the force of moving air into electricity, and output rises steeply with wind speed, so location decides almost everything. Onshore farms stand on land, along coasts, on plateaus and in gaps in the Western Ghats; offshore farms stand in the sea, where winds are stronger and steadier but construction costs far more. Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have the most installed wind capacity. A National Offshore Wind Energy Policy came in 2015, with the first offshore zones identified off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy of 2018 encourages plants that put turbines and panels on the same land and share one transmission line. The two sources fill each other's gaps: sunshine peaks at midday, while wind is often strong in the evening, at night and during the monsoon, when clouds cut solar output.

जलविद्युतची आकारानुसार विभागणी केली आहे: 25 MW पर्यंतची लघु जलविद्युत नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा मंत्रालयाकडे, मोठे प्रकल्प ऊर्जा मंत्रालयाकडे. 2019 मध्ये मोठ्या प्रकल्पांनाही नवीकरणीय घोषित केले, पण दोन्ही वर्ग वेगळेच ठेवले. लघु प्रकल्प म्हणजे डोंगरातील ओढ्यावरची छोटी पाणचक्की; फार जमीन बुडत नाही. ऊस गाळल्यानंतर उरणाऱ्या चिपाडापासून साखर कारखाने वीज बनवतात; पिकांचे अवशेष आणि शहरातील कचराही इंधनच. पृथ्वीच्या आतील उष्णता (लडाखची पुगा दरी), भरती-ओहोटी (खंभात, कच्छची आखाते, सुंदरबन) अजून खूप लहान आहेत. (→ English: small hydro; large hydro; bagasse cogeneration; geothermal energy; tidal energy · हिन्दी: लघु जलविद्युत; बड़ी जलविद्युत; खोई सह-उत्पादन; भू-तापीय ऊर्जा; ज्वारीय ऊर्जा)

In exam EnglishHydropower is divided by size. Small hydro projects of up to 25 MW come under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and have always counted as renewable; larger projects come under the Ministry of Power. In March 2019 large hydro was also declared renewable energy, so that it could get similar support, though the two categories stay separate. Small hydro suits hill streams and canal drops and floods little land. Bioenergy turns organic matter into power or fuel: sugar mills generate electricity from bagasse, the fibre left after crushing cane, through cogeneration, while other plants burn crop residue or city garbage. Geothermal energy, the earth's internal heat, has been explored at the Puga valley in Ladakh, and tidal energy is possible in the Gulfs of Khambhat and Kutch and in the Sundarbans; both remain small and largely untapped.
India's main renewable sources at a glance
SourceWhere it does bestKey policy or scheme
SolarSunny, dry regions such as Rajasthan and Gujarat; rooftops everywhereNational Solar Mission (2010), solar parks (2014), PM-KUSUM (2019), PM Surya Ghar (2024)
WindWindy coasts, plateaus and Ghat gaps; Gujarat and Tamil Nadu leadNational Offshore Wind Energy Policy (2015), National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy (2018)
Small hydro (up to 25 MW)Himalayan and north-eastern hill streams, canal dropsUnder MNRE; large hydro declared renewable in 2019 but stays under the Ministry of Power
BioenergySugar belts, farm regions, city wasteBagasse cogeneration, biomass power, waste-to-energy
Geothermal and tidalPuga valley (Ladakh); Gulfs of Khambhat and Kutch, SundarbansSmall and largely untapped

ऊन आणि वारा आपले ऐकत नाहीत: संध्याकाळी दिवे, पंखे लावायच्या वेळी ऊन नसते. म्हणून साठवण हवी. बॅटरी म्हणजे मोबाईल चार्ज करण्यासारखे: वीज जास्त असताना भरून ठेवायची आणि नंतर वापरायची. उदंचन साठवण ही जुनी पद्धत: खाली एक तलाव, वर एक तलाव अशी कल्पना करा. वीज स्वस्त असताना पाणी वर चढवायचे आणि गरज पडली की खाली सोडून पाते फिरवायचे. हे एका मोठ्या बॅटरीसारखे काम करते. ऊन आणि वारा जास्त असलेल्या राज्यांतून वीज दूर नेण्यासाठी हरित ऊर्जा मार्गिकेच्या वाहिन्या उभारल्या जातात. (→ English: pumped storage; battery energy storage; Green Energy Corridor; intermittency · हिन्दी: पंप भंडारण; बैटरी ऊर्जा भंडारण; हरित ऊर्जा गलियारा; अनिरंतरता)

In exam EnglishSolar and wind are variable: output changes with the hour, the clouds and the season, and cannot be called up at the evening peak when lights and fans come on. A grid carrying much of such power must store energy and move it over long distances. Battery storage systems charge when power is plentiful and discharge later; in 2023 the government approved viability gap funding to help build them. pumped storage is the older method: when electricity is cheap, water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper one, and at peak hours it flows back down through turbines, so the pair of reservoirs behaves like a huge battery that can be recharged again and again. Transmission matters as much. Sun and wind are richest in a few states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, so Green Energy Corridor projects build dedicated lines to carry their power to distant users; a second phase was approved in January 2022.

हायड्रोजन जळला की फक्त पाणी उरते; खरा प्रश्न तो कसा बनवला हा आहे. एकच दूध चुलीवर आणि सौर कुकरवर तापवल्यासारखे: दूध तेच, धूर वेगळा. नैसर्गिक वायूपासून बनवून CO2 हवेत सोडला तर करडा, तोच CO2 पकडून साठवला तर निळा, आणि नवीकरणीय विजेने पाण्याचे विघटन केले तर हरित हायड्रोजन. शुद्धीकरण कारखाने, खत कारखाने, पोलाद, ट्रक, जहाजे यांत त्याचा उपयोग. हरित हायड्रोजन हवेतील नायट्रोजनशी जोडला की हरित अमोनिया. (→ English: grey hydrogen; blue hydrogen; green hydrogen; electrolyser; green ammonia · हिन्दी: धूसर हाइड्रोजन; नीला हाइड्रोजन; हरित हाइड्रोजन; इलेक्ट्रोलाइज़र; हरित अमोनिया)

In exam EnglishHydrogen is clean where it is used: burned, or used in a fuel cell, it leaves only water. What matters is how it is made, and the industry labels the methods with colours. Grey hydrogen, most of today's supply, is made from natural gas, and its carbon dioxide goes into the air. Blue hydrogen is made the same way, but the carbon dioxide is captured and stored. green hydrogen is made by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen in an electrolyser run on renewable electricity, so almost no carbon is emitted. Its value lies in uses that electricity cannot easily reach: refineries and fertiliser plants, which already use grey hydrogen; steel making, where hydrogen can replace coal in removing oxygen from iron ore; and heavy trucks and ships. Green ammonia, made from green hydrogen and nitrogen from the air, can supply fertiliser plants or fuel ships.

जानेवारी 2023 मध्ये राष्ट्रीय हरित हायड्रोजन अभियान आले. लक्ष्य: 2030 पर्यंत दरवर्षी किमान 50 लाख टन हरित हायड्रोजन उत्पादन क्षमता. जास्त पैसा SIGHT अंतर्गत दोन प्रोत्साहनांना: देशातच इलेक्ट्रोलायझर यंत्रे बनवण्यासाठी एक, हायड्रोजन उत्पादनासाठी एक. 'हरित' कोण ठरवणार? वस्तूवरच्या ISI शिक्क्यासारखे एक मानक ठरवले: एक किलो हायड्रोजनमागे 2 किलोपेक्षा जास्त CO2 समतुल्य नको, 12 महिन्यांची सरासरी. यामुळे उत्सर्जन कमी होईल आणि तेल आयातीचा खर्चही घटेल. (→ English: National Green Hydrogen Mission; SIGHT; Green Hydrogen Standard · हिन्दी: राष्ट्रीय हरित हाइड्रोजन मिशन; SIGHT; हरित हाइड्रोजन मानक)

In exam EnglishThe National Green Hydrogen Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on 4 January 2023 with an initial outlay of ₹19,744 crore. Its headline target is a production capacity of at least 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year by 2030, backed by about 125 GW of additional renewable capacity. Most of the money goes to SIGHT, Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition, which offers two separate incentives: one for making electrolysers in India and one for producing green hydrogen. The mission also funds pilot projects in steel, transport and shipping, and green hydrogen hubs. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is the nodal ministry. Its Green Hydrogen Standard of August 2023 says hydrogen counts as green only if producing it emits no more than 2 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram, averaged over 12 months. The expected gains are lower emissions and a smaller fossil fuel import bill.

एक युनिट वीज वाचवणे नवीन बनवण्यापेक्षा अनेकदा स्वस्त पडते. यासाठी कायदा 2001 चा ऊर्जा संवर्धन कायदा; त्याखाली ऊर्जा कार्यक्षमता ब्युरो (ऊर्जा मंत्रालय). सिमेंट, पोलादासारख्या मोठ्या उद्योगांना लक्ष्य दिले जाते; परीक्षेत जास्त गुण मिळालेल्या विद्यार्थ्याला जादा गुण विकता आले तर जसे, तसे PAT मध्ये लक्ष्य ओलांडणारे युनिट प्रमाणपत्रे विकू शकते. फ्रीज, एसीवर जास्त तारे म्हणजे कमी वीज. उजालाने स्वस्तात LED दिवे दिले. 2022 च्या दुरुस्तीने कार्बन बाजार, बिगर-जीवाश्म ऊर्जेचा सक्तीचा वापर आणि मोठ्या घरांनाही इमारत नियम आले. (→ English: Bureau of Energy Efficiency; designated consumer; Perform, Achieve and Trade; carbon market · हिन्दी: ऊर्जा दक्षता ब्यूरो; नामित उपभोक्ता; प्रदर्शन, उपलब्धि और व्यापार; कार्बन बाज़ार)

In exam EnglishSaving a unit of energy is often cheaper than producing one. The Energy Conservation Act, 2001 is the legal base, and under it the Bureau of Energy Efficiency was set up in 2002 under the Ministry of Power. The Act lets the government name energy-intensive industries, such as cement, steel and fertiliser units, as designated consumers who must report and cut their energy use. Under the Perform, Achieve and Trade scheme, part of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, a unit that beats its target earns energy saving certificates that it can sell to a unit that falls short. Star labels on appliances such as air conditioners show consumption, more stars meaning less power used; the Energy Conservation Building Code covers large commercial buildings; and UJALA (2015) sold cheap LED bulbs. The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022 enables a carbon market through a carbon credit trading scheme, lets the government require designated consumers to use a minimum share of non-fossil energy, and brings large residential buildings under energy codes.

जैवइंधन म्हणजे अलीकडे जिवंत असलेल्या वनस्पती आणि कचऱ्यापासून बनवलेले इंधन, जमिनीत कोट्यवधी वर्षे पडलेले तेल नव्हे. पहिली पिढी: ऊस, मका, धान्य आणि तेलांपासून. दुसरी पिढी: भाताचे तूस, कापसाच्या पऱ्हाट्या यांसारख्या न खाल्ल्या जाणाऱ्या अवशेषांपासून (पानिपतचा प्रकल्प). तिसरी पिढी: शेवाळापासून, अजून प्रयोगाच्या टप्प्यात. पेट्रोलमध्ये 20% इथेनॉल (E20) चे लक्ष्य 2030 वरून 2025-26 वर आणले; 2025 मध्ये गाठले. SATAT कचऱ्यापासून बायोगॅस. पण विचार करा: भाकरीचे धान्य टाकीत गेले तर? हाच अन्न विरुद्ध इंधन प्रश्न; आणि उसाला पाणीही खूप लागते. (→ English: biofuel; ethanol blending (E20); compressed biogas; Global Biofuels Alliance · हिन्दी: जैव ईंधन; एथेनॉल सम्मिश्रण (E20); संपीड़ित बायोगैस; वैश्विक जैव ईंधन गठबंधन)

In exam EnglishA biofuel is made from recently living matter rather than fossil deposits, and biofuels are grouped into generations by raw material. First-generation biofuels come from food crops: ethanol from sugarcane, maize or grain, and biodiesel from vegetable oils. Second-generation biofuels use non-food biomass such as rice straw and cotton stalks; India's first such ethanol plant, at Panipat, was dedicated in 2022. Third-generation biofuels come from algae and are still experimental. The National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 aimed at 20 per cent ethanol in petrol (E20) by 2030; a 2022 amendment advanced this to the ethanol supply year 2025–26, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced in July 2025 that 20 per cent blending had been reached. SATAT (October 2018) promotes compressed biogas from farm and city waste for transport. India launched the Global Biofuels Alliance at the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023. The worry is food versus fuel: grain or cane turned into ethanol is not eaten, and sugarcane needs a lot of water.

संपूर्ण भाग एका घरच्या अंदाजपत्रकासारखा पाहा. एक: चांगला उत्पन्नाचा मार्ग, म्हणजे ऊन, वारा, लघु जलविद्युत, जैवऊर्जा. दोन: बचतीचा डबा, म्हणजे बॅटरी, उदंचन साठवण, संकरित प्रकल्प, मार्गिकेच्या वाहिन्या. तीन: खर्चात कपात, म्हणजे PAT, तारांकित लेबल, LED. चार: तार पोहोचत नाही तिथे स्वच्छ इंधन, म्हणजे हरित हायड्रोजन, इथेनॉल, बायोगॅस. हे सर्व 2070 च्या निव्वळ शून्य उत्सर्जन लक्ष्याकडे आणि शाश्वत विकास लक्ष्य 7 कडे नेतात. पुढचा भाग शेती. (→ English: net zero; SDG 7 · हिन्दी: नेट ज़ीरो; SDG 7)

In exam EnglishThis part's pieces form one strategy with four levers. The first is cleaner supply from solar, wind, small hydro and bioenergy, which, with large hydro and nuclear, took non-fossil sources past half of India's installed capacity in 2025. The second is a grid that can absorb variable power, through batteries, pumped storage, hybrid plants and Green Energy Corridor lines. The third is lower demand through efficiency: PAT certificates, star labels, building codes and LED bulbs. The fourth is cleaner fuels where wires cannot reach: green hydrogen for industry, and ethanol and compressed biogas for transport. All four serve India's 2030 targets and its goal of net zero emissions by 2070, taught in the climate change chapter, and Goal 7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, affordable and clean energy for all. Part 3 turns to agriculture, where the food-versus-fuel question returns.

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency functions under which of the following?

  1. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  2. Ministry of Power
  3. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  4. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Show answer

Answer: B. Ministry of Power

Created in 2002 by the 2001 energy conservation law, the Bureau reports to the Ministry of Power. The renewable energy ministry handles solar, wind, small hydro and green hydrogen, the environment ministry handles pollution and forest law, and the petroleum ministry handles oil, gas and biofuel blending; none of them oversees the Bureau.

Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. Hydro projects of up to 25 MW capacity are handled by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
2. In 2019 the government declared large hydro projects to be renewable energy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Both are correct: small hydro up to 25 MW sits with the renewable energy ministry, and in March 2019 large hydro was also declared renewable, though it stays with the Ministry of Power. Options 1 and 2 each leave out a true statement, and option 4 rejects both.

Q3. Consider the following pairs:
1. Grey hydrogen : made from natural gas, with the carbon dioxide released into the air
2. Blue hydrogen : made by electrolysis of water using nuclear power
3. Green hydrogen : made by electrolysis of water using renewable electricity
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: C. 1 and 3 only

Pairs 1 and 3 are correct. Pair 2 is wrong: blue hydrogen is made from fossil fuel like grey hydrogen, but with the carbon dioxide captured and stored; it does not involve electrolysis. Options 1, 2 and 4 all include the wrong pair 2.

Q4. With reference to the National Green Hydrogen Mission, consider the following statements:
1. By 2030 it seeks the ability to turn out no less than 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen every year.
2. Its SIGHT programme offers separate incentives for manufacturing electrolysers and for producing green hydrogen.
3. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is its nodal ministry.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 and 2 only

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the nodal ministry is the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Options 2, 3 and 4 all include the false statement 3.

Q5. Which of the following schemes supports stand-alone solar pumps and small solar plants on barren land for farmers?

  1. PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana
  2. PM-KUSUM
  3. UJALA
  4. SATAT
Show answer

Answer: B. PM-KUSUM

PM-KUSUM (2019) is the farmers' solar scheme, covering small plants on barren land, stand-alone solar pumps and solarisation of grid-connected pumps. PM Surya Ghar subsidises rooftop panels on homes, UJALA distributed LED bulbs, and SATAT promotes compressed biogas plants.

Q6. Consider the following statements:
1. The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022 enables the government to set up a carbon credit trading scheme.
2. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency was created by the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Bureau was created under the 2001 Act, but it works under the Ministry of Power. Option 2 picks the false statement, option 3 includes it, and option 4 rejects the true statement 1.

Q7. Match List I with List II:
List I (biofuel)
A. First generation
B. Second generation
C. Third generation
List II (raw material)
1. Algae
2. Food crops such as sugarcane and grain
3. Crop residue such as rice straw
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A-2, B-3, C-1
  2. A-3, B-2, C-1
  3. A-2, B-1, C-3
  4. A-1, B-3, C-2
Show answer

Answer: A. A-2, B-3, C-1

First-generation biofuels use food crops, second-generation use non-food crop residue, and third-generation use algae, so A-2, B-3, C-1. Option 2 swaps the first two generations, option 3 gives algae to the second generation, and option 4 reverses the first and third.

Q8. In a pumped storage hydropower plant, which of the following happens?

  1. Water is pumped to an upper reservoir when power is surplus and released through turbines at peak demand
  2. Seawater is pumped into coastal reservoirs to generate electricity from tides
  3. Groundwater is pumped by solar pumps for irrigation during the day
  4. Hot water from deep wells is used to run steam turbines
Show answer

Answer: A. Water is pumped to an upper reservoir when power is surplus and released through turbines at peak demand

Pumped storage uses two reservoirs as a store of energy: water goes up when electricity is cheap and comes down through turbines at the peak. Option 2 describes tidal energy, option 3 describes solar irrigation pumps such as those under PM-KUSUM, and option 4 describes geothermal power.

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