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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on March 14, 2025
Daily Insights and Initiatives for UPSC Exam Notes: Comprehensive explanations and high-quality material provided regularly for students
How can India meet its rising power demand?
For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
For Mains Examination: GS III - Power sector, Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro, Biomass, etc.), Energy Security, and Government Policies (such as UDAY, SAUBHAGYA, and National Electricity Policy)
Context:
As the fastest-growing major economy in a rapidly heating world, India’s electricity demand is growing fast. Since FY21, India’s electricity consumption has risen at approximately 9% per annum, compared to an average of 5% annually in the preceding decade. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) had projected electricity demand to grow at a 6% CAGR between 2022 and 2030.
Read about:
What’s driving India’s electricity demand?
Why should India further raise its clean energy ambitions?
Key takeaways:
India’s Growing Electricity Demand and Renewable Energy Transition
As one of the fastest-expanding major economies in an increasingly warming world, India's electricity needs are rising at an unprecedented rate. Since FY21, power consumption has been increasing at nearly 9% annually, compared to an average of 5% in the previous decade. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) had estimated a 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in electricity demand between 2022 and 2030. However, recent trends indicate that actual demand may exceed these projections. The critical question remains: Can India's power sector meet this surging demand while simultaneously transitioning to renewable energy sources?
Key Drivers of India’s Electricity Demand
- In addition to economic growth and rapid urbanization, climate change-induced heatwaves are significantly influencing electricity consumption. Industries, households, and agriculture account for 33%, 28%, and 19% of India's total power usage, respectively.
- However, household energy consumption has expanded the fastest in the last decade. The summer of 2024 saw a 40-50% rise in air conditioner sales due to increasing temperatures and rising income levels.
- On May 30, 2024, the country's peak electricity demand surpassed 250 GW, exceeding forecasts by 6.3%. With February 2025 marking the warmest in 125 years, India faces prolonged heatwaves and an expected 9-10% growth in peak power demand.
India’s Response to Rising Power Demand
- Since the early 2000s, the nation’s power generation capacity has increased fourfold to 460 GW, making India the world's third-largest electricity producer. The energy sector is undergoing a transformation, shifting towards renewable sources like solar and wind.
- Initially, the government set a target of 20 GW of renewable energy (RE) by 2020. This was later revised to 175 GW by 2022, and in 2021, India set a more ambitious goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
- To handle rising demand, the government has implemented both short-term and long-term strategies. For instance, in 2022, coal allocation for power generation was increased, and railway transportation was prioritized to ensure adequate supply.
- Imported coal-based power plants were instructed to operate at full capacity. States with substantial solar installations leveraged surplus power to address daytime demand peaks, although nighttime peaks remain a challenge.
- The year 2024 was a milestone, with India adding a record 28 GW of new renewable energy capacity, pushing the share of RE in the electricity mix to 13.5%. While coal's contribution in capacity terms fell below 50%, it still accounts for 75% of power generation.
- Currently, India's RE capacity stands at 165 GW, with another 32 GW expected to be commissioned in 2025. To meet the 2030 target, an annual addition of about 50 GW of RE is necessary.
The Need to Expand Clean Energy Targets
- The increasing frequency of power shortages over the last two years raises concerns about how India can ensure a reliable and cost-effective power supply in the future.
- A recent study by the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) explored six scenarios for India’s power sector in 2030. The analysis revealed that failing to meet the 500 GW clean energy target would lead to power deficits and higher costs, even under moderate demand growth.
- For example, if only 400 GW is achieved, approximately 0.26% of demand will remain unmet—potentially affecting nearly a million households for 2.5 hours daily. Northern states would be hit the hardest due to network limitations.
- If demand grows at a faster rate (6.4% CAGR from 2023-2030 instead of the projected 5.8%), even achieving the 500 GW target may not be sufficient. India would then have two options: either add 6 GW of additional coal-based power (beyond the under-construction projects) or increase renewable energy capacity by 100 GW beyond the stated target.
- While adding more coal-based power could meet demand, it would put immense strain on coal plants, increasing downtime risks and costs. In contrast, an additional 100 GW of renewable capacity, strategically distributed across states, presents a more sustainable and viable solution.
Achieving 600 GW of Clean Energy by 2030
- To keep pace with growing demand, India must target 600 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030. This would not only ensure a stable power supply but also result in significant cost savings—up to ₹42,400 crore ($5 billion) in procurement costs for 2030 alone. Additionally, this expansion would create around 100,000 new jobs (between 2025-2030) and cut air pollutant emissions by as much as 23% by 2030.
- However, achieving this ambitious target would require the installation of 70 GW of renewable energy annually, which poses several challenges. Land acquisition delays, transmission equipment shortages, uncertainties regarding incentives for inter-state RE projects, and grid-balancing issues are already slowing deployment.
- Given these hurdles, relying on coal-based plants might seem like a more practical option, but it is neither cost-effective nor reliable. Historically, coal projects take over seven years to become operational, whereas modular RE plants can be established much faster, providing cheaper electricity.
Accelerating Renewable Energy Deployment
Expanding clean energy capacity to 600 GW is both urgent and achievable with the right policy measures. Here are three key strategies to accelerate RE growth in India:
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Diversifying Renewable Energy Projects Across States
Presently, five states account for nearly 75% of India's total renewable capacity. Investment concentration in these regions, driven by policies like state-agnostic reverse bids and inter-state transmission charge waivers, has led to land constraints. The government must collaborate with states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and Kerala to foster RE adoption. Additionally, the inter-state transmission charge waiver should be phased out after June 2025, except for storage-based projects, encouraging decentralized RE development under schemes like PM-KUSUM and the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. -
Co-Locating Wind and Storage with Solar Projects
The Central and State governments should promote hybrid projects integrating solar, wind, and energy storage. This approach would optimize land and transmission networks while improving grid stability. A CEEW study projects that integrating 600 GW of renewable energy will require 280 GWh of battery energy storage (BESS) and 100 GWh of pumped hydro storage. Prioritizing BESS, which can be deployed within six months and is rapidly becoming cost-effective, should be a key focus. -
Innovating Procurement and Market Mechanisms
Enhancing RE procurement efficiency and availability in power markets is essential. Several large-scale solar and hybrid RE tenders in FY24, conducted by entities like the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), failed to attract significant state participation. The government should collaborate with states to stimulate RE demand, streamline bidding processes, and address barriers proactively. Additionally, strengthening power exchanges for RE trading and introducing a Contract-for-Difference (CfD) mechanism could help mitigate financial risks for RE investors
Follow Up Question
1.With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements: [UPSC 2018]
- India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units.
- The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Bothe 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
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Answer (d)
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- The allocation for the gender budget has consistently increased over the years, rising from ₹1,71,006.47 crore in 2022-23 to ₹2,38,219.75 crore in 2023-24, ₹3,27,158.44 crore in 2024-25, and reaching ₹4,49,028.68 crore in 2025-26. This demonstrates the government's commitment to addressing gender disparities.
- However, despite the higher expenditure, the direct economic benefits to women have not been proportionate. Women from marginalized communities, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), have not significantly benefited, despite various government initiatives targeted at them.
- For instance, in the current year, ₹300 crore has been earmarked for the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) to support the socio-economic development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), while ₹75 crore has been allocated for the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, aimed at tribal welfare.
- Although India has been formulating a gender budget for two decades, it has not integrated lessons from previous budgets to create a more inclusive approach that considers caste, class, and tribal identity intersections.
- As a result, these schemes have struggled to bring meaningful transformation to marginalized women’s lives. SC/ST women face multiple layers of discrimination, making it essential to analyze budgetary allocations through an intersectional lens.
- In the Union Budget 2025-26, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was allocated ₹14,925.81 crore—a 45.79% increase from the previous year’s revised estimate of ₹10,237.33 crore. However, detailed breakdowns of allocations under the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) are not readily available.
- These sub-plans are crucial components of various ministerial budgets, ensuring targeted development for SC and ST communities. While their combined allocations are substantial, the absence of gender-segregated data within these plans makes it difficult to assess their specific impact on SC/ST women.
- Furthermore, the lack of updated statistics—India’s last Census was conducted in 2011—raises concerns about how policies are formulated in the absence of current demographic data, impacting accountability mechanisms.
- A report by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) titled Dalit Adivasi Budget Analysis 2023-24 reveals that more than 35% of funds allocated under SCSP and TSP remain unutilized due to bureaucratic hurdles and insufficient community participation.
- Complex paperwork, administrative inefficiencies, limited outreach, and inadequate dissemination of information often prevent women from accessing these welfare schemes. Many women, though unfamiliar with the technicalities of the Economic Survey, eagerly anticipate government schemes, subsidies, and financial support to improve their daily lives.
- Additionally, many programs fail to account for regional, cultural, and social variations, particularly in tribal areas where access to healthcare and education remains inadequate. The literacy rate among tribal women is only 49.4%, significantly lower than the national female literacy rate of 64.63%.
- To enhance the effectiveness of gender budgets, several steps should be taken. First, an intersectional audit of caste, class, and tribal identities should be conducted at both central and state levels before budget formulation.
- Second, the government must implement participatory approaches where community-led initiatives, particularly involving SC/ST women, play a role in designing and monitoring schemes.
- Kerala’s Kudumbashree mission serves as a successful model, demonstrating how community-led programs improve outreach and impact. Lastly, establishing transparent monitoring mechanisms—such as a gender budget tracking portal—could enhance public accountability by tracking fund utilization and measuring outcomes effectively
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Answer (B)
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The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) infrastructure project was initiated by NITI Aayog and introduced in 2021. As per andaman.gov.in, the project envisions establishing key facilities such as an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), a new international airport capable of managing 4,000 passengers during peak hours, a residential township, and a gas and solar-powered energy plant. The entire project will span approximately 16,610 hectares.
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The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is responsible for executing the project. It aligns with India's Maritime Vision 2030 and forms a crucial part of the Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. The island's strategic position, located nearly equidistant from Colombo (Sri Lanka), Port Klang (Malaysia), and Singapore, presents a significant opportunity for maritime trade expansion.
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Infrastructure progress on Great Nicobar Island has been sluggish due to factors such as the island's remoteness, delays in securing environmental clearances, and complex inter-agency coordination. The project aims to address these obstacles by enhancing connectivity and development.
Geographical Location
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The Andaman and Nicobar Islands consist of 836 islands, divided into two clusters: the Andaman Islands to the north and the Nicobar Islands to the south, separated by the 150-km-wide Ten Degree Channel.
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Great Nicobar Island is the southernmost and largest among the Nicobar Islands. It covers roughly 910 sq km, with dense tropical rainforests and a sparse population. Indira Point, India's southernmost location, is situated on this island and is approximately 90 nautical miles (about 170 km) from Sabang, located at the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia.
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Great Nicobar Island is home to two national parks, a biosphere reserve, the indigenous Shompen and Nicobarese tribes, and a small population of non-tribal settlers.
Strategic Importance
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Being close to the Malacca Strait, a vital maritime route linking the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, the ICTT is expected to boost Great Nicobar's involvement in regional and global trade by developing cargo transshipment capabilities. Additionally, a proposed "greenfield city" aims to harness both the island's maritime potential and its tourism prospects.
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Indira Point is located just 90 nautical miles northwest of Sabang (Indonesia), while Coco Island (Myanmar) lies roughly 18 nautical miles from the northernmost Andaman Islands. Moreover, if Thailand constructs the Kra Canal to connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea, its entry point would be about 350 nautical miles east of Port Blair.
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Potential security concerns may arise if China's maritime presence strengthens near the Indo-Pacific's eastern chokepoints. Consequently, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could serve as India's strategic frontline against such developments.
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The Andaman and Nicobar Islands share maritime boundaries with four neighboring countries: Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. This positioning significantly extends India's ocean jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), granting access to an expansive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf rights.
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
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Environmental concerns have led to opposition against the proposed infrastructure expansion, particularly regarding its potential risks to the island's ecosystem. Critics highlight the project’s possible adverse effects on the Shompen tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), and the Nicobarese people, who rely on horticulture, pig-rearing, hunting, and foraging for their livelihood.
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PVTGs represent a highly vulnerable segment of the Scheduled Tribes (STs), identified by the government for priority development initiatives to improve their socio-economic conditions.
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Due to their small population size, isolation, and unique cultural identity, PVTGs face severe marginalization. Limited access to essential services, social discrimination, and displacement risks from development projects and natural disasters further compound their vulnerability. Additionally, their minimal political representation restricts their involvement in policymaking
1.Which of the following have coral reefs? (2014)
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Gulf of Kachchh
- Gulf of Mannar
- Sunderbans
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
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Answer (a)
Coral reefs are found in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Kachchh, and Gulf of Mannar, but not in the Sundarbans (which is a mangrove ecosystem rather than a coral reef area)
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Global warming has reached Greenland, with a new study showing that remote high elevations of its ice sheet are facing the warmest decade in the last thousand years.
Read about:
Greenhouse effect
Global Warming
Key takeaways
- Global warming has made its way to Greenland, with a recent study revealing that the remote high-altitude areas of its ice sheet have experienced the warmest decade in the past thousand years. According to research published in the journal Nature, the period from 2001 to 2011 was 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the 20th-century average.
- An ice sheet is a vast expanse of glacial ice covering more than 50,000 square kilometers. These sheets hold approximately 99% of the Earth's freshwater and are sometimes referred to as continental glaciers, as noted by National Geographic.
- Currently, only two ice sheets exist on Earth—the Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet. Like other glaciers, ice sheets develop through the accumulation of snow over time.
- As layers of snow build up and undergo partial melting, they compact and harden. Data from NASA satellites indicate that both the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have been losing mass since 2002.
- This ice loss is primarily caused by rising temperatures on the Earth's surface and in the oceans. According to NASA, meltwater from these ice sheets has contributed to approximately one-third of the global average sea level rise since 1993.
- Due to its vast size, its role in reflecting solar radiation, and its ability to store freshwater, the Greenland ice sheet plays a crucial role in the global climate system.
- However, the impact of global warming on its central region remains uncertain due to the lack of long-term observational data. Instrument-based air temperature records are often too short to capture significant trends, and while climate models can estimate long-term changes, they tend to struggle with accurately reflecting regional climate variations.
- To better understand Greenland’s past climate, researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute drilled into the ice sheet to analyze historical climate conditions. The deeper they drilled, the more evidence they found of how past environmental temperatures influenced the ice.
- According to AntarcticGlaciers.org, a knowledge-sharing platform by the University of Cambridge, ice sheets provide a window into the past by preserving records of snowfall, air temperature, and atmospheric composition. By analyzing greenhouse gas concentrations in ice core layers, scientists can compare modern levels of carbon dioxide and methane to historical values and assess their relationship with temperature changes.
- An ice core is a cylindrical sample extracted from an ice sheet or high-altitude glacier. The study highlighted that the ice cores retrieved by the Alfred Wegener Institute researchers were of exceptional length and quality.
- Their analysis allowed them to reconstruct temperature patterns and melting rates in central and northern Greenland from the year 1000 AD up to 2011 with remarkable precision
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Answer (D)
Carbon sequestration refers to the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide (COâ‚‚) to mitigate global warming. Several geological formations can serve as potential sites for long-term carbon storage.
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- Ragging involves any behavior by a student or group of students, whether through spoken or written words or actions, that results in teasing, rude treatment, or misconduct towards others.
- It also includes engaging in disorderly or disruptive activities that cause distress, hardship, or psychological or physical harm, instilling fear or discomfort among fellow students.
- Ragging can be broadly classified into three types. The first category includes common practices such as making newcomers introduce themselves, addressing seniors with formal titles like ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am,’ following prescribed dress codes, avoiding direct eye contact with seniors, and performing tasks like singing or dancing.
- These activities are often not labeled as ragging but rather as a form of "interaction" or a harmless tradition meant to integrate new students into the institution’s culture while reinforcing seniority-based hierarchies.
- The second type is explicitly recognized as ragging and includes forced consumption of alcohol or tobacco, coerced interactions with the opposite gender, use of abusive language, and ragging of a sexual nature.
- Such actions often stem from a desire to break free from childhood restrictions, enact personal fantasies, or conform to gender stereotypes, particularly the notion of masculinity.
- The third and most severe category involves physical abuse, coercion, and violent assaults. While sometimes used as a means of proving physical strength, it is more commonly intended to intimidate, humiliate, and assert dominance over newcomers.
- In a 2001 ruling, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of ragging, describing it as a widespread problem in educational institutions. A public interest litigation on the matter was filed by Vishwa Jagriti Mission against the central government.
- The Court broadly defined ragging as any disorderly conduct—whether verbal, written, or physical—that leads to teasing, rude behavior, or mistreatment of students. It also includes any action that causes distress, fear, embarrassment, or psychological harm to freshers or junior students, compelling them to act in ways they normally would not. The underlying motive behind ragging is often the pursuit of sadistic pleasure or the assertion of power and superiority by seniors over their juniors.
- The Court issued several key anti-ragging directives, including the formation of proctorial committees to prevent and address ragging incidents internally. It also stated that cases involving serious misconduct or criminal offenses should be reported to the police.
- In 2009, the Supreme Court revisited the issue, appointing a committee led by former CBI Director R.K. Raghavan to examine the problem further.
- The committee’s recommendations were later formalized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
- An investigation by The Indian Express revealed that the establishment of a dedicated UGC helpline in 2009 contributed to a significant increase in reported ragging complaints.
- Records obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act show that from January 2012 to October 2023, 78 students were listed under "suicide/death cases allegedly due to ragging." While this figure is small compared to the 4.14 crore students in higher education, it highlights the deeper issue of an unaccountable and opaque system for addressing ragging.
- Over the past decade, the UGC helpline recorded more than 8,000 ragging complaints, with incidents surging by 208% between 2012 and 2022. Complaints rose from 358 in 2012 to a peak of 1,115 in 2019, followed by 1,103 cases in 2022 and 756 cases by October 2023.
- Among the 78 ragging-related deaths reported during this period, Maharashtra accounted for the highest number (10), followed by Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (7 each), Telangana (6), Andhra Pradesh (5), and Madhya Pradesh (4).
- The highest number of ragging complaints came from Uttar Pradesh (1,202), followed by Madhya Pradesh (795), West Bengal (728), Odisha (517), Bihar (476), and Maharashtra (393).
- The institutions with the most complaints included Banaras Hindu University (BHU) with 72 cases, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology in Bhopal (53), and MKCG Medical College in Berhampur, Odisha (49)
a) Bar Council of India
b) National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)
c) University Grants Commission (UGC)
d) Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
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Answer (c)
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the primary regulatory body responsible for monitoring and implementing anti-ragging measures in higher education institutions across India. Following the Supreme Court’s directives, the UGC issued strict anti-ragging regulations in 2009, which include measures such as:
The other options are incorrect because:
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| Subject | Topic | Description |
| Polity | Panchayats | Panchayats |
| Environment & Ecology | Wildlife Protection Act 1972 | Wildlife Protection Act 1972 |
| Economy | International Organisations | International Organisations |
| Ancient History | Buddhism | Buddhism |
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UPSC EXAM NOTES will be conducting both Prelims and Mains exams every Sunday as part of the Integrated Mains and Prelims (IMPM) Program. This program provides a comprehensive approach to UPSC exam preparation, ensuring that candidates are well-prepared for both stages of the exam. Program Highlights:
Duration: The IMPM plan is a one-year program, ensuring continuous and structured preparation over 12 months. With regular testing and consistent study guidance, this program is designed to maximize your chances of success in the UPSC exams |