UPSC Prelims 2020 CSAT Paper II · Q63 of 80 Comprehension medium

Passage

India has tremendous potential for solar energy. We all realize that we have to stop burning fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. But certain renewable resources are still going through their cost curves and learning curves to get the required amount of output. The Indian Government has strongly committed to its targets of reducing emissions by 33 per cent by 2030, and towards this it has initiated a strong push towards a gas-based economy and has also invested heavily in renewable energy. However, business houses are wary of investing too heavily in renewable energy at a time when the technology is not yet ready.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Governments often provide inefficient and costly subsidies for technologies that may not be ready in the near future. 2. India's commitment of reducing emissions by 33% by 2030 shall be on the basis of gas-based economy. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

  1. (a) 1 only ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) 2 only
  3. (c) Both 1 and 2
  4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Why the answer is (a)

• Assumption 1 is valid because the passage states that business houses are wary of investing in renewable energy as the technology is not yet ready, implying that government subsidies for such unready technologies can be inefficient and costly.

• The passage explicitly mentions that the government has initiated a push towards a gas-based economy AND has invested heavily in renewable energy to meet its emission targets.

• Assumption 2 is invalid because it claims the 33% reduction commitment is 'on the basis of' a gas-based economy, which ignores the simultaneous and significant investment in renewable energy mentioned in the text.

• Since the passage presents both gas and renewables as part of the strategy, assuming the target relies solely on the gas-based economy is an overgeneralization not supported by the text.

• Therefore, only Assumption 1 is valid, making option (a) the correct answer.

Why the other options are wrong

(b) 2 only
Assumption 2 is invalid because the passage states that renewable energy investment is also part of the strategy, not just the gas-based economy.
(c) Both 1 and 2
Assumption 2 is invalid because the passage does not state that the emission target relies exclusively on the gas-based economy.
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Assumption 1 is valid as the passage highlights the risk of investing in unready renewable technologies, implying potential inefficiency in subsidies.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020, held on 4 October 2020. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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