General Studies 2025 GS Paper I 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Explain

Q6

Explain briefly the ecological and economic benefits of solar energy generation in India with suitable examples. (Answer in 150 words) 10

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

उपयुक्त उदाहरणों के साथ, भारत में सौर ऊर्जा उत्पादन के पारिस्थितिक और आर्थिक लाभों की संक्षेप में व्याख्या कीजिए । (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए) 10

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Directive word: Explain

This question asks you to explain. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The directive 'explain' requires clear causal reasoning showing how solar energy generates specific ecological and economic benefits for India. Structure: brief introduction stating India's solar potential → body with parallel treatment of ecological benefits (carbon reduction, land use, water conservation) and economic benefits (job creation, energy access, import bill reduction) with Indian examples → concise conclusion linking to energy security or SDGs.

Key points expected

Ecological benefits: GHG emission reduction replacing coal, minimal water usage vs thermal plants, reduced air pollution (PM2.5, SO2)
Economic benefits: declining LCOE making solar cheapest power source, rural electrification through decentralized systems, foreign exchange savings on oil/gas imports
Specific Indian examples: Bhadla Solar Park (Rajasthan), Rooftop Solar Programme, Solar Parks Scheme, International Solar Alliance headquarters in Gurugram
Employment generation: ~3 lakh jobs in solar sector as per MNRE, skill development through Suryamitra program
Land-use synergy: agrivoltaics (solar panels + agriculture) and use of wasteland/barren land
Energy security: target of 500 GW non-fossil by 2030, reducing import dependence (~85% for oil)

Evaluation rubric

Dimension	Weight	Max marks	Excellent	Average	Poor
Demand-directive understanding	20%	2	Clearly distinguishes and interlinks ecological vs economic benefits with causal mechanisms; addresses 'briefly' constraint without over-expansion; maintains focus on India-specific context throughout	Covers both benefit categories but treats them as lists without clear causal explanation; some drift into generic global solar benefits not specific to India	Confuses ecological with economic benefits or omits one category entirely; writes descriptively without explanatory depth; exceeds scope with technology details irrelevant to benefits
Content depth & accuracy	20%	2	Precise quantitative references (e.g., 500 GW target, ~2.5 lakh crore import savings potential); accurate technical-ecological linkages (water intensity 0-200 litres/MWh vs thermal's 2000+); correct policy scheme names	Broadly accurate content with minor numerical imprecision; mentions correct schemes but with vague descriptions; conflates solar PV with solar thermal without distinction	Factually incorrect statements (e.g., solar requires more water than thermal); outdated data; confuses MW with GW; misidentifies flagship programs
Structure & flow	20%	2	Crisp 150-word adherence with clear paragraphing: ecological benefits → economic benefits → integrated conclusion; smooth transitions using 'furthermore,' 'conversely,' 'significantly'; no redundant phrases	Adequate structure but uneven weightage (3:1 ecological:economic or vice versa); abrupt transitions; minor verbosity causing 160-170 word overshoot	Disorganized bullet-like listing without paragraph coherence; no logical sequencing; severe under/over-length (<120 or >180 words); repetitive statements padding word count
Examples / case-law / data	20%	2	Minimum two specific Indian examples with location/scale (e.g., Bhadla Solar Park - 2.7 GW, Rajasthan; Pavagada Solar Park - 2 GW, Karnataka); recent data (2023-24) on installed capacity (~70 GW solar); ISA or PM-KUSUM reference	Generic 'solar parks in Rajasthan' without naming; outdated 2019 capacity figures; international examples (Tesla, Germany) dominating over Indian cases	No Indian examples or only vague 'Gujarat has solar'; incorrect attribution (e.g., citing wind farms as solar); fabricated statistics without credible basis
Conclusion & analytical edge	20%	2	Synthesizes ecological-economic nexus (e.g., 'green growth pathway' or 'circular economy potential'); forward-looking element (green hydrogen integration, grid stability challenges); links to India's COP26 commitments or SDG 7/13	Generic summary restating points; no synthesis; weak forward linkage ('solar is good for future')	No conclusion or abrupt ending; introduces new unrelated content in final lines; purely aspirational statement without analytical grounding

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