The Union government informed the Supreme Court of India that no new hydroelectric projects should be permitted in the upper reaches of the Ganga in Uttarakhand.
Key Highlights
Ministries of:
Environment
Jal Shakti
Power
Submitted a common affidavit opposing new hydel projects in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basins.
Projects Allowed
The Centre allowed only seven ongoing or substantially completed projects, including:
Tehri Pumped Storage Project
Tapovan Vishnugad
Vishnugad Pipalkoti
Singoli Bhatwari
Phata Byung
Reasons for Restricting New Projects
The government cited:
Seismic fragility of the Himalayas
Cumulative impact of “bumper-to-bumper” dams
Flood disasters such as:
2013 Kedarnath floods
2025 Dharali flash flood
Background
The case originated after the 2013 Kedarnath disaster.
The Supreme Court had asked expert committees to study the impact of hydropower projects in Uttarakhand.
[2009] The Dul Hasti Power Station is based on which one of the following rivers?
PYQ Relevance[UPSC 2023] The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles?Linkage: This PYQ tests the EV transition debate, while the article deepens it by examining whether India’s electricity grid can sustain mass EV adoption. UPSC can extend the question from EV benefits to grid readiness, energy security, charging infrastructure, and power-sector reforms.
Mentor’s Comment
India’s EV transition is gaining momentum due to rising crude oil prices and energy-security concerns. However, the bigger challenge is not just EV adoption but whether India’s electricity grid can handle future charging demand. Full electrification may require 900-1,100 TWh of extra electricity, almost like building a second power system.
Why Does India’s EV Transition Require a Fundamental Expansion of Electricity Infrastructure?
Fleet Electrification Burden: India has nearly 420 million registered vehicles. Full electrification across categories could require an additional 900-1,100 TWh of electricity annually, depending on usage intensity and vehicle type.
Partial Transition Impact: Even a 50% EV conversion by 2047 could increase electricity demand by nearly 500 TWh. This is equivalent to almost one-third of India’s present annual power generation.
Second Power System Effect: Electrifying transport effectively requires creating a parallel energy ecosystem comparable to building a new power system. This is unlike gradual infrastructure upgrades witnessed historically.
Freight Electrification Challenge: Heavy transport imposes disproportionate electricity demand due to high energy intensity. This makes freight, not scooters, the central grid concern.
Long-Term Infrastructure Lag: India’s existing electricity infrastructure took nearly seven decades to evolve, whereas EV-led demand growth may materialise within two decades.
Why Is the Political Visibility of Two-Wheeler Electrification Misleading?
Dominant EV Narrative: Public discourse largely associates EV transition with scooters and commuter vehicles due to their high visibility and government incentives.
Limited Grid Burden: India has around 309 million electric two-wheelers potential, yet complete conversion would add only 55-75 TWh annually, constituting less than 7% of projected EV electricity demand.
Consumption Characteristics: A two-wheeler typically travels 5,000-7,000 km annually, consuming approximately 0.035 kWh/km. This results in relatively low aggregate electricity demand.
Political Optics: Subsidies and adoption campaigns focus on visible commuter mobility while underemphasising grid-intensive sectors such as freight transport.
Structural Misdiagnosis: Overemphasis on scooters risks obscuring the actual infrastructure bottleneck, powering commercial logistics networks.
How Does Freight Electrification Create the Real Electricity Challenge?
Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Demand: India has approximately 6.26 million HGVs, each consuming 1.2-1.5 kWh per kilometre over nearly 60,000 km annually.
Electricity Requirement: Electrifying HGVs alone could require nearly 450-565 TWh annually, exceeding several times the electricity consumed by the entire two-wheeler fleet.
Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs): Nearly one million MGVs would also significantly increase electricity requirements despite lower intensity.
Passenger Car Comparison: A single heavy goods vehicle generates emissions equivalent to roughly 25 passenger vehicles, magnifying decarbonisation benefits but increasing grid stress.
Freight-Centric Transition: “Electrifying roads” effectively means electrifying India’s logistics ecosystem rather than only personal mobility.
Why Does EV Charging Create a Grid Stability Problem Beyond Annual Electricity Demand?
Peak Demand Challenge: Power systems respond not only to annual consumption but also to instantaneous electricity demand, especially during evening hours.
Simultaneous Charging Risk: If millions of EVs charge during evenings, electricity loads may rise by several hundred gigawatts, threatening supply stability.
Distribution Network Constraints: High-tension depot connections for commercial fleets already face delays, revealing infrastructural bottlenecks.
Financial Weakness of DISCOMs: Distribution companies remain burdened by accumulated losses, limiting their capacity to invest in required upgrades.
Price Volatility Risk: Unmanaged charging could trigger supply disruptions and tariff spikes, affecting all electricity consumers rather than only EV owners.
What Demand-Side Solutions Can Reduce EV-Induced Grid Stress?
Workplace Charging: Charging at offices shifts electricity demand away from residential peak periods.
Battery Storage Hubs: Dedicated storage systems enable smoother electricity balancing during demand surges.
Battery Swapping Networks: Fleet vehicles can replace depleted batteries instead of charging simultaneously.
EV Tariff Innovations: Several states have introduced EV-specific tariff frameworks, though no uniform national standard exists.
Smart Charging Capability: Chargers must respond dynamically to grid signals to optimise charging schedules.
Retrofitting Challenge: Conventional chargers installed today without smart capability may require expensive retrofitting later.
What Kind of Energy Mix Does India’s EV Grid Actually Need?
Solar and Wind Energy: Renewable power offers lowest marginal cost and rapid deployment, but intermittency limits reliability due to 25-30% capacity factors.
Storage Dependency: Renewable-heavy systems require battery storage or complementary generation to address non-solar hours.
Nuclear Energy: Provides high-capacity-factor, weather-independent baseload power, though constrained by high costs and long gestation.
Pumped Hydro: Ensures balancing capacity for variable renewable energy during demand fluctuations.
Natural Gas: Supports short-duration peak electricity demand during transition periods.
Diversified Energy Portfolio: Grid resilience requires a balanced mix rather than excessive reliance on a single source.
Coal Expansion Concern: EVs powered primarily through coal merely replace oil-import dependence with coal-import dependence, especially from Australia and Indonesia, while reducing climate gains.
Micro Modular Reactors (MMRs): May support highway corridors and urban logistics hubs by supplying localised baseload electricity.
Why Does Battery Waste Pose a Long-Term Sustainability Challenge?
End-of-Life Battery Surge: Hundreds of millions of EV batteries may eventually reach disposal stage.
Recycling Infrastructure Deficit: India lacks battery recycling systems at required commercial scale.
Waste Transition Risk: Failure to establish recycling systems could transform an energy transition into a waste-management crisis.
Circular Economy Need: Recovery of lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare materials becomes essential for long-term supply security.
What Institutional and Policy Reforms Are Necessary for EV-Grid Readiness?
Demand Projection Planning: Draft National Electricity Policy must integrate EV demand scenarios of 30%, 50%, and 100% electrification by 2047.
Smart Charging Mandate: New charging infrastructure must include grid-responsive technology at equipment level.
Freight Corridor Mapping:Golden Quadrilateral and Dedicated Freight Corridors require electricity planning before electric trucks scale commercially.
Inter-Ministerial Coordination: Coordination between transport, power, finance, and distribution agencies ensures systemic preparedness.
DISCOM Strengthening: Reform of Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) should include EV-readiness benchmarks.
Last-Mile Delivery Electrification: Financial viability of EV logistics depends upon stronger distribution networks.
Conclusion
India’s EV transition cannot succeed through subsidies and vehicle sales alone. A sustainable shift to electric mobility requires grid readiness, smart charging systems, stronger DISCOMs, storage capacity, and freight-focused infrastructure planning. Without matching energy infrastructure, India risks replacing oil dependence with electricity stress rather than achieving true energy security and decarbonisation.
Scientists analysing data from Chandrayaan-3 discovered that the Moon’s upper surface near the landing site has two distinct layers within a few centimetres of depth.
Key Findings
The lunar surface (regolith) is not uniform.
A loose porous upper layer quickly changes into a denser compact layer:
About 2 to 6 cm below the surface.
Role of the ‘Hop’ Experiment
Chandrayaan-3 lander performed a small “hop”.
The lander:
Lifted about 40 cm above the surface
Moved nearly 50 cm before landing again
ChaSTE Instrument
The findings are based on data from Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE)
Function
Measured thermal properties and temperature profile of lunar soil.
Used a rod-shaped probe with temperature sensors.
Important Discoveries
Even at 6-9 cm depth, the Moon showed layered structure.
Temperature dropped sharply with depth:
Around 60°C lower at 10 cm depth compared to the surface.
[2016] Consider the following statements: The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO 1. is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission 2. made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA 3. made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt Which of the statements given above is/are correct? [A] 1 only [B] 2 and 3 only [C] 1 and 3 only [D] 1, 2 and 3
A sixth tiger has died in Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger Reserve within a month, with authorities suspecting infection by the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV).
Key Highlights
Latest victim:
Six-year-old male tiger
Found dead in Mukki range of KTR
Earlier deaths: One tigress and four cubs in Sarhi range
What is CDV (Canine Distemper)?
Highly contagious viral disease.
Mainly spreads through infected dogs.
Affects:
Respiratory system
Nervous system
Immune system
Why is it a Concern?
Virus may be spreading across different ranges of the reserve.
Stray dogs entering buffer and core forest areas are suspected carriers.
Role of Authorities
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Union government have sought reports from State officials regarding the tiger deaths.
About Kanha Tiger Reserve
Located in Madhya Pradesh.
One of India’s major tiger reserves.
Part of the Project Tiger network.
Consider the following statements about National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA): 1.It was constituted under Biodiversity act, 2002. 2.It is a statutory authority to implement Project Tiger. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? [A] 1 only [B] 2 only [C] Both 1 and 2 [D] Neither 1 nor 2
PYQ Relevance[UPSC 2020] What are the major factors responsible for making rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success, how has this system become bane in India? Linkage: This PYQ is highly relevant because the article directly critiques the rice-wheat dominated cropping system, driven by MSP and fertilizer subsidies, for causing soil degradation and excessive fertilizer dependence. The article’s core argument on the “fertilizer trap,” monocropping, and need for pulse diversification can be used as contemporary value addition to enrich this answer.
Mentor’s Comment
India’s fertilizer policy has entered a structural paradox: despite spending over ₹2 lakh crore annually on fertilizer subsidies, a substantial share of nutrients fails to translate into food output and instead leaks into the environment through air and water pollution. The core challenge before Indian agriculture is no longer fertilizer availability, but fertilizer-use efficiency, as excessive and imbalanced use has created a “fertilizer trap”. This trap weakens soil health, inflates fiscal burdens, and threatens long-term food security.
Why has India’s fertilizer ecosystem become structurally vulnerable?
Urea Dependence: India produces nearly 80% of domestic urea requirements, yet remains dependent on imported natural gas feedstock, exposing domestic prices to global energy shocks.
Phosphatic Vulnerability: India imports almost the entire requirement of mineral rock phosphate, creating dependence for phosphatic fertilizer manufacturing.
West Asia Risk: Regional conflicts in West Asia increase shipping, fuel, and raw material costs, directly inflating India’s subsidy burden.
Fiscal Exposure: Global fertilizer price volatility automatically raises government subsidy expenditure because domestic fertilizer prices remain politically controlled.
Strategic Concern
Food Security Risk: Fertilizer supply disruptions directly threaten agricultural productivity in a country where nearly half the workforce depends on agriculture.
What is the Fertilizer Trap?
A condition where excessive chemical fertilizer use reduces soil productivity, forcing farmers to apply even larger quantities to maintain the same yield.
Declining Water Retention: Chemically degraded soils lose moisture-holding capacity, increasing vulnerability to drought and erratic monsoons.
Diminishing Marginal Returns: Rising fertilizer application fails to produce proportional increases in output, increasing input costs without equivalent yield gains.
Nutrient Imbalance: Over-reliance on nitrogenous fertilizers (urea) disturbs the NPK balance (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium).
Environmental Consequences
Air Pollution: Nitrogen fertilizers release ammonia emissions, contributing to air pollution.
Water Pollution: Excess phosphates trigger water eutrophication, damaging aquatic ecosystems.
Climate Impact: Fertilizer misuse increases greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating global warming.
Biodiversity Loss: Soil microbial diversity declines due to excessive chemical exposure.
Data
Subsidy Inefficiency: More than two-thirds of India’s ₹2 lakh crore fertilizer subsidy reportedly fails to become food output and is instead lost to environmental leakages.
Why has India’s fertilizer subsidy regime failed to improve efficiency?
Subsidy Distortion
Cheap Urea Incentive: Heavy subsidy makes urea disproportionately cheaper than phosphatic and potassic fertilizers, encouraging overuse.
Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) Limitation: Although introduced to rationalize fertilizer use, urea remains outside effective market pricing reforms, weakening impact.
Technology Limitations
Neem-Coated Urea: Reduces diversion and slows nitrogen release but fails to eliminate significant nitrogen losses through ammonia volatilization.
Policy Failure
Consumption Growth: Fertilizer use continues to rise despite repeated policy attempts to improve efficiency.
Weak Incentives: Subsidies reward quantity consumed, not efficiency achieved.
Institutional Gap
Defunct Coordination: The Interministerial National Nitrogen Steering Committee ceased functioning before implementing major reforms.
How do MSP distortions and cropping patterns worsen fertilizer inefficiency?
Procurement Bias
MSP Concentration: Although MSP exists for 20+ crops, effective procurement remains concentrated in rice, wheat, and sugarcane.
Monoculture Incentives: Farmers shift toward fertilizer-intensive crops due to procurement certainty.
Decline of Traditional Rotations
Pulse-Cereal Breakdown: Traditional pulse-based crop rotations have weakened substantially.
Lower Urea Requirement: Pulses require nearly 90% less nitrogen fertilizer than cereals.
Residual Soil Benefits
Nutrient Carryover: Nitrogen fixed by pulses benefits succeeding crops.
Soil Regeneration: Pulse rotations improve soil structure and microbial activity.
Climate Resilience
Rain-fed Suitability: Pulses perform relatively better in water-stressed regions.
Historical Lesson
Traditional Sustainability: Pulse-cereal systems sustained Indian agriculture for centuries before synthetic fertilizer dependence expanded.
Why has the Dalhan Aatmanirbharta Mission struggled to alter cropping patterns?
Mission Objectives
MSP Assurance: Guarantees 100% procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masoor.
Financial Commitment: Allocates ₹11,440 crore to increase pulse production to 350 lakh tonnes annually within five years.
Limited Ground Impact
Minimal Acreage Expansion: Pulse acreage increased by only 1.26% in 2025-26.
Persistent Decline: Expansion remains inadequate after nearly 10% contraction in pulse cultivation during 2021-22 to 2024-25.
Implementation Challenges
Weak Procurement Infrastructure: State agencies struggle to operationalize procurement guarantees.
Monsoon Dependency: Pulse cultivation remains vulnerable to rainfall fluctuations.
Judicial Concern
Supreme Court Observation (March 2026): Called for stronger implementation mechanisms.
What reforms can break India’s fertilizer dependence without compromising food security?
Organic Basal Dosing
Organic Priority: Ensures compost, manure, and biochar form the base nutrient layer.
Chemical Top-Up: Restricts fertilizers to supplementary nutrient requirements.
Integrated Nutrient Management (INM)
Balanced Nutrition: Combines organic manure, crop residues, biofertilizers, and chemical fertilizers.
Evidence-Based Fertilizer Reduction
Crop Trials: Agricultural experiments demonstrate that up to 50% of fertilizer use can be replaced by manure or biochar without yield loss.
Seed Innovation
Nitrogen-Efficient Germplasm: Existing rice varieties may potentially double nitrogen-use efficiency per unit of urea supplied.
Cropping Diversification/Pulse Expansion: Strengthens procurement and market support for pulses and oilseeds.
Institutional Revival through National Nitrogen Governance: Revives inter-ministerial coordination for fertilizer-use reforms.
Conclusion
India’s fertilizer crisis is increasingly one of inefficient use rather than inadequate supply. Excessive chemical dependence, MSP-driven monocropping, and weak policy coordination have deepened the fertilizer trap, harming soil health and sustainability. Improving fertilizer-use efficiency through pulse diversification, organic supplementation, and targeted reforms is essential for balancing food security with ecological sustainability.
Important Concepts
Integrated Nutrient Management (INM)
Balanced Input Mix: Combines organic and inorganic nutrient sources to improve soil productivity.
4R Nutrient Stewardship
Right Source: Appropriate fertilizer selection.
Right Dose: Optimum nutrient quantity.
Right Time: Synchronised nutrient application.
Right Place: Efficient nutrient placement.
Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE): Measures agricultural output per unit of nutrient applied.
Government Schemes
PM-PRANAM gives Fertilizer Reduction Incentive: Rewards states reducing chemical fertilizer consumption.
Soil Health Card Scheme talks about scientific fertilizer application: Enables crop-specific nutrient recommendations.
Neem-Coated Urea Scheme helps in nitrogen efficiency: Reduces diversion and improves slow nutrient release.
National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)/Climate-Smart Agriculture: Promotes sustainable farming practices.
International Best Practices
European Union-Farm to Fork Strategy
Nutrient Reduction: Targets 20% fertilizer-use reduction and 50% nutrient-loss reduction by 2030.
China-Zero Growth Fertilizer Strategy
Consumption Cap: Limits chemical fertilizer growth through precision nutrient management.
India’s rising energy import dependence and recurring global fuel disruptions have renewed policy focus on strengthening domestic energy security through indigenous energy sources. Simultaneously, the push for compressed biogas (CBG), waste-to-energy systems, and biomass utilisation under initiatives such as Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) and the National Bioenergy Programme has brought decentralised bioenergy systems into the centre of India’s clean energy transition.
What are decentralised bioenergy systems?
They are localized energy-generation systems that convert biological waste (biomass and organic waste) into usable energy near the place where the waste is produced, instead of relying on large, centralized power plants. In simple terms, these systems turn local waste into local energy.
Key Features
Decentralised: Energy is produced at the village, town, farm, dairy cluster, factory, or municipal level rather than a distant central plant.
Bioenergy-based: Uses organic materials such as crop residue, cattle dung, sewage sludge, food waste, municipal organic waste, and agro-waste.
Waste-to-Energy Model: Converts waste into biogas, electricity, heat, compressed biogas (CBG), syngas, ethanol, methanol, or biochar.
Why are decentralised bioenergy systems emerging as a strategic pillar of India’s energy security?
Import Dependence: India imports more than 85% of its crude oil requirement and nearly 50% of its natural gas, exposing the economy to geopolitical disruptions and volatile fuel prices.
Domestic Resource Utilisation: Converts locally available agricultural residue, food waste, sewage sludge, and municipal organic waste into productive energy assets.
Energy Resilience: Reduces vulnerability arising from centralized fuel supply chains and external energy shocks.
Distributed Energy Generation: Enables localized production and consumption of energy, reducing transmission losses and transportation costs.
Circular Economy Transition: Shifts waste management from disposal-centric systems toward resource recovery and economic reuse.
How does India’s biomass surplus create a major untapped energy opportunity?
Biomass refers to organic material derived from plants, animals, or biodegradable waste that can be used to produce energy.
Biomass Availability: India generates nearly 750 million tonnes of agricultural biomass annually.
Surplus Potential: Around 230 million metric tonnes remain surplus and underutilised, especially crop residue and agro-waste.
Import Substitution: Efficient utilisation of surplus biomass can potentially replace nearly one-third of India’s fossil fuel imports.
Municipal organic waste: Food waste, vegetable waste, biodegradable garbage;
Industrial organic waste: Waste from food-processing industries;
Sewage sludge: Organic matter from wastewater treatment plants.
How does thermal gasification convert dry biomass into usable energy?
Thermal gasification is a high-temperature process that converts dry biomass into an energy-rich gas (called syngas) by heating it with limited oxygen.
Feedstock Suitability: Processes dry biomass such as crop residue, husk, woody waste, and solid organic materials.
Thermochemical Conversion: Uses drying, pyrolysis, oxidation, and reduction at nearly 800°C-1000°C to convert biomass into energy-rich gas.
Fuel Diversification: Enables production of renewable methane, methanol, ethanol, and hydrogen.
Industrial Application: Supports decentralized electricity generation and industrial thermal applications.
Biochar Generation: Produces biochar, which improves soil quality and facilitates long-term carbon sequestration.
Example: Agricultural residue and woody biomass can be converted into syngas for localized industrial and power-generation use.
Why is anaerobic digestion critical for India’s wet waste management challenge?
Anaerobic digestion is a biological process in which microorganisms break down wet organic waste in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas and organic fertilizer
Financial Hesitation: Capital-intensive systems discourage private investment without policy certainty.
Why is bioenergy not a single-technology solution?
Technology Diversity: Requires different technological pathways based on waste type and energy objective.
Multi-product Capability: Enables production of biogas, compressed biogas (CBG), hydrogen, syngas, renewable methane, ethanol, and methanol.
Sectoral Flexibility: Supports transport, industry, agriculture, waste management, and local electricity generation.
Example: The SATAT scheme demonstrates conversion of biomass into compressed biogas (CBG) as a renewable alternative to natural gas.
What are the key Government initiatives?
SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation): Strengthens compressed biogas production from agricultural and organic waste.
National Bioenergy Programme: Supports biomass, biogas, and waste-to-energy deployment.
GOBAR-Dhan Scheme: Facilitates village-level waste-to-wealth models through organic waste management.
National Policy on Biofuels, 2018: Supports ethanol blending and advanced biofuel ecosystems.
Waste-to-Energy Programme: Encourages scientific municipal waste utilization.
Conclusion
India’s energy transition cannot rely solely on large-scale renewable expansion and imported fuels. Decentralised bioenergy systems offer a practical pathway to strengthen domestic energy security by converting agricultural residue, sewage sludge, food waste, and municipal organic waste into reliable energy. A well-integrated bioenergy ecosystem can simultaneously advance energy resilience, waste management, rural livelihoods, and climate goals. This will help in making waste a strategic national resource rather than an environmental burden.
PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2018] Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Comment on the progress made in India in this regard.
Linkage: This PYQ is directly relevant because the article focuses on sustainable, decentralized, and affordable energy systems as instruments of energy security. The present issue expands the renewable-energy debate beyond solar and wind toward waste-to-energy, biomass utilisation, circular economy, and domestic fuel resilience.
Scientists have developed advanced “DNA maps” to identify the origin and trafficking routes of illegally traded pangolins, helping expose international wildlife smuggling networks.
Key Highlights
Study published in PLOS Biology on May 7, 2026.
Researchers mapped trafficking routes of:
White-bellied pangolin
Sunda pangolin
Chinese pangolin
How the DNA Mapping Works
Scientists analysed 671 specific locations in the pangolin genome that differ across populations.
Used:
Museum specimens
Recent pangolin samples
Created a large geo-referenced genetic database to identify the origin of trafficked pangolins.
Major Findings
Researchers found evidence of trafficking routes from: Arunachal Pradesh and Assam
feeding illegal trade networks through Yunnan in China.
Significance
Helps identify poaching hotspots accurately.
Assists enforcement agencies in tracking wildlife crime networks.
Can improve international cooperation against illegal wildlife trade.
About Pangolins
Pangolins are scaly mammals threatened by:
Habitat loss
Illegal trafficking
Hunted mainly for:
Scales
Meat
Conservation Status
Protected under: Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
Listed under: Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
[2022] Consider the following statements: DNA Barcoding can be a tool to: 1. Assess the age of a plant or animal. 2. Distinguish among species that look alike. 3. Identify undesirable animal or plant materials in processed foods. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? [A] 1 only [B] 3 only [C] 1and 2 [D] 2 and 3
The Union Health Ministry stated that India has no reported Ebola cases and the current risk remains minimal, while closely monitoring the outbreak in Central Africa.
Key Highlights
The outbreak involves Ebola Virus Disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.
Affected regions include:
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Uganda
Measures Taken by India
Enhanced surveillance at airports and ports
Monitoring of international travellers from affected regions
Isolation and quarantine preparedness
Coordination with relevant ministries and agencies
Agencies Involved
National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
About Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)
Severe viral haemorrhagic fever affecting humans and primates.
Spread through:
Direct contact with infected bodily fluids
Contaminated surfaces
Infected animals
Symptoms
Fever
Weakness
Bleeding
Organ failure in severe cases
What is PHEIC?
A Public Health Emergency of International Concern is declared by WHO under the International Health Regulations (IHR) when an outbreak:
Poses international public health risk
Requires coordinated global response
[2015] Among the following, which were frequently mentioned in the news for the outbreak of Ebola virus recently? (a) Syria and Jordan (b) Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia (c) Philippines and Papua New Guinea (d) Jamaica, Haiti and Surinam
Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized two live Indian Red Sand Boa snakes in Warangal, Telangana, during an operation against illegal wildlife trade.
Key Highlights
The operation was conducted by the Hyderabad zonal unit of DRI.
Officials acted on intelligence regarding illegal sale of live snakes in the grey market.
Two live snakes were recovered from the suspect’s bag during an undercover decoy operation.
About Indian Red Sand Boa
Scientific name: Eryx johnii
Non-venomous burrowing snake species found in India.
Often targeted in illegal wildlife trade due to superstitions and false medicinal beliefs.
Legal Protection
The species is protected under: Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
Significance of Schedule I
Provides the highest level of legal protection.
Hunting, possession, and trade are prohibited.
Action Taken
The snakes and accused were handed over to the Forest Range Officer, Warangal.
Further investigation is underway to identify possible wildlife trafficking networks.
[2017] In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, what does it imply? [A] It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger. [B] It no longer exists in the wild, a few individuals are under captive protection; and not it is impossible to prevent its extinction. [C] It is endemic to a particular region of India. [D] Both (b) and (c) stated above are correct in this context.
India’s renewable energy capacity has expanded rapidly, with renewables contributing more than half of India’s installed power capacity for the first time. However, this growth has exposed a major challenge: energy storage. As renewable energy use increases, inadequate storage systems are creating concerns over grid stability and reliable electricity supply. The issue has become more important as India aims to achieve 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030, but storage infrastructure remains insufficient.
How does inadequate storage undermine India’s renewable energy transition?
Intermittency Problem: Solar generation ceases after sunset, while wind output fluctuates according to weather conditions. This creates instability in electricity availability.
Demand-Supply Mismatch: Electricity demand often peaks during evening hours, whereas solar generation remains concentrated during daytime, creating temporal imbalance.
Grid Stability Risks: Large-scale renewable integration without storage increases frequency fluctuations and voltage instability, affecting grid reliability.
Renewable Curtailment: Surplus renewable electricity often remains unused during periods of excess generation due to inadequate storage infrastructure.
Thermal Dependence: Limited storage necessitates continued dependence on thermal power plants for balancing electricity demand.
Why has energy storage become central to India’s power transition?
Renewable Expansion: Renewable energy now accounts for more than half of India’s installed power capacity, indicating a structural shift in the energy mix.
2030 Energy Target: India aims to achieve 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, making storage essential for effective grid integration.
Peak Demand Management: Storage systems release electricity during high-demand periods, reducing shortages and supply disruptions.
Energy Security: Domestic storage capacity reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthens energy resilience.
What are the major energy storage technologies available to India?
Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS)
Operating Mechanism: Stores electricity by pumping water to an elevated reservoir during surplus generation and releasing it through turbines during peak demand.
Established Technology: Represents the most mature and widely deployed large-scale storage technology globally.
Installed Capacity: India currently possesses nearly 7.2 GW of pumped hydro storage capacity.
Future Expansion: The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) projects nearly 94 GW of PHS capacity by 2035-36.
Key Advantage: Ensures long-duration storage and utility-scale grid balancing.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Technology Base: Primarily relies on Lithium-Ion Phosphate (LFP) batteries, recognised for declining costs, higher efficiency and longer life cycles.
Operating Mechanism: Stores electricity during surplus renewable generation and discharges power when output declines.
Current Capacity: India currently possesses nearly 0.27 GW battery storage capacity.
Projected Requirement: Battery storage requirement is projected to reach nearly 80 GW by 2035-36.
Auction Momentum: Around 10,658.94 MW / 28,739.32 MWh of BESS capacity remains under implementation.
Concentrated Solar Thermal Storage: Uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight and heat molten salts, enabling electricity generation during non-solar hours.
Compressed-Air Energy Storage: Stores compressed air underground during excess generation and releases it to produce electricity during peak demand.
Flywheel Energy Storage: Stores rotational kinetic energy and supports short-duration grid frequency regulation.
Gravity Energy Storage: Converts gravitational potential energy into electricity by lifting and lowering heavy masses.
Why is India falling short in energy storage deployment?
Slow Deployment Pace: Storage installation has not kept pace with rapid renewable capacity expansion.
Import Dependence: India imports nearly 75-80% of lithium-ion cells, creating supply-chain vulnerability.
High Cost Structure: Battery systems account for nearly 90% of total storage project costs, affecting affordability.
Policy Gaps: Long-term resource adequacy planning for storage remains insufficient.
Critical Mineral Dependence: Dependence on imported lithium, cobalt and rare earth minerals exposes India to geopolitical risks.
How prepared is India institutionally for large-scale renewable integration?
CEA Planning: The National Electricity Plan (NEP) projects a requirement of nearly 47 GW / 188 GWh battery storage and 94 GW / 676 GWh pumped hydro capacity by 2035-36.
What are the policy alternatives for strengthening India’s storage ecosystem?
Domestic Manufacturing: Strengthens battery ecosystems through PLI incentives and domestic mineral processing.
Critical Mineral Strategy: Ensures secure overseas access to lithium, cobalt and nickel reserves.
Market Mechanisms: Facilitates storage viability through time-of-day pricing and ancillary service markets.
Hybrid Renewable Projects: Integrates solar, wind and storage for round-the-clock electricity supply.
Research and Innovation: Supports emerging technologies such as sodium-ion and solid-state batteries.
Regulatory Reforms: Ensures long-term procurement frameworks and storage deployment certainty.
Conclusion
India’s renewable energy transition now depends not only on increasing generation capacity but also on strengthening energy storage systems. Rapid expansion of solar and wind power without adequate storage can undermine grid stability and energy reliability. Expanding battery storage, pumped hydro capacity and domestic manufacturing, along with regulatory support, will be critical to ensuring a stable, secure and sustainable clean energy transition.
Government Policies and Schemes Supporting Energy Storage in India National Framework for Promoting Energy Storage Systems (2023): It provides the overall policy framework for integrating energy storage into generation, transmission and distribution systems. It recognises storage as a key enabler of renewable energy integration. PLI Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage (2021): Supports domestic battery manufacturing through a ₹18,100 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) programme. Targets establishment of 50 GWh ACC battery manufacturing capacity to reduce import dependence on lithium-ion batteries. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Provides financial support to make battery storage commercially viable and accelerate grid-scale deployment of BESS projects. Operational guidelines were issued in 2024. Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) Guidelines for BESS (2022): Enables transparent procurement of storage capacity by power distribution companies and improves investor confidence. Energy Storage Obligation (ESO): Mandates power utilities to integrate a minimum share of energy storage alongside renewable procurement to ensure grid reliability and peak balancing. Green Energy Corridor Programme: Expands transmission infrastructure to facilitate integration of renewable energy and storage systems into the national grid. ISTS Charges Waiver for Renewable + Storage Projects: Waives inter-state transmission charges for co-located renewable energy and storage projects, improving project viability.
PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2022] Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain
Linkage: The PYQ tests understanding of India’s renewable energy transition, structural bottlenecks and policy support required for achieving energy targets. The article expands the debate beyond renewable generation to issues of grid stability, intermittency and reliable power supply.
