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General Studies 2021 GS Paper III 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper III — Q6

Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in…

Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? (Answer in 150 words)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

नवम्बर, 2021 में ग्लासगो में विश्व के नेताओं के शिखर सम्मेलन में सी.ओ.पी. 26 संयुक्त राष्ट्र जलवायु परिवर्तन सम्मेलन में, आरम्भ की गई हरित ग्रिड पहल का प्रयोजन स्पष्ट कीजिए । अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सौर गठबंधन (आई.एस.ए.) में यह विचार पहली बार कब दिया गया था ? (150 शब्दों में उत्तर दीजिए)

Q6 of the 2021 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, as printed
The question as printed in the 2021 General Studies paper
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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

The idea of an interconnected global grid was first floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the International Solar Alliance’s (ISA) First Assembly in October 2018, and formally detailed at the ISA’s World Solar Technology Summit on 8 September 2020 under the vision of "One Sun One World One Grid" (OSOWOG).

Purpose and Mechanism Launched jointly by India and the UK at the COP26 World Leaders Summit in Glasgow (November 2021), the Green Grids Initiative (GGI-OSOWOG) aims to build interconnected transnational power grids to enable seamless, round-the-clock solar energy transmission across regions.

Mechanistically, it resolves renewable energy intermittency: because the sun is always shining in some part of the globe, interconnected regional grids allow surplus solar generation to flow across time zones to meet demand in deficit areas without expensive storage.

Significance This initiative facilitates international clean energy trade, lowers decarbonisation costs, enhances collective energy security, and ensures reliable green energy access for developing nations, strengthening India's leadership in global climate diplomacy.

What "Explain" is asking you to do

Make the working of something clear — what sets it off, what follows from what, and what it produces. Explain is the Commission's mechanism word: it dominates the technical papers and the “explain why” stems, where the marks sit in the causal chain and not in the label.

Structure that answers it

State what it is → the initiating condition → the chain of cause, step by step → an instance where it plays out → what the chain produces

Where marks are lost

Describing what something looks like instead of why it works that way. Naming the stages without linking them reads as description too.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS3 Environment: Threat, Causes, Impact, Mitigation. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Precisely defines the 100% renewable grid purpose and correctly identifies the 2019 ISA Annual Conference as the origin.

Key points expected

  • Define Green Grid Initiative as a 100% renewable energy grid
  • State purpose: decarbonize power sector and accelerate clean energy transition
  • Identify ISA as the platform where the idea was first floated
  • Mention the specific year the idea was first discussed in ISA

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Define Green Grid Initiative purpose and identify its first ISA mention.  · 150 words

    explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close

    Must cover

    • Define Green Grid Initiative as a 100% renewable energy grid
    • State purpose: decarbonize power sector and accelerate clean energy transition
    • Identify ISA as the platform where the idea was first floated
    • Mention the specific year the idea was first discussed in ISA

    Loses marks

    • Confusing Green Grid with the International Solar Alliance itself
    • Failing to mention the specific year the idea was floated
    • Vague description of the initiative's purpose without 'renewable' or 'decarbonization'

    Earns more

    • Mentioning the specific date of the 2019 ISA Annual Conference
    • Linking the initiative to the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target
    • Mentioning the role of solar and wind in the grid
    • Noting the role of India and France in the ISA

    Extra mark

    • Citing the specific 2019 ISA Annual Conference in New Delhi
    • Mentioning the 'Green Grid' concept as a 100% renewable grid

Practice this exact question

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