GS Paper I — Q6
Explain briefly the ecological and economic benefits of solar energy generation in India with suitable examples. (Answer in 150…
Explain briefly the ecological and economic benefits of solar energy generation in India with suitable examples. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
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 अंक
Model answer
Drafted with AI 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. How we build rubrics and answers.
India’s solar expansion, driven by the target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, yields vital ecological and economic dividends through direct structural substitution.
Ecological Benefits: Displacing coal-fired power generation directly mitigates greenhouse gas emissions and reduces hazardous air pollutants such as PM2.5 and SO2. Photovoltaic generation requires minimal operational water compared to water-intensive thermal cooling cycles, conserving scarce hydrological resources. Furthermore, land-use synergies like agrivoltaics integrate crop cultivation beneath panels, while mega-installations on barren wasteland—such as the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan—prevent ecological encroachment on arable land.
Economic Benefits: A sharply declining Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) makes solar India’s cheapest electricity source. This transition curbs foreign exchange drain by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, where crude import dependence exceeds 85%. Decentralized generation under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (rooftop) and PM-KUSUM (solar pumps) strengthens rural electrification and micro-enterprises. Supported by the Solar Parks Scheme, the sector now employs several lakh workers, with technical capacity scaled through the Suryamitra skill development programme.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS1 Geography/Economy: Mechanism > Location/Impact > Data
What earns full marks: Clear distinction between ecological and economic, specific Indian examples, precise mechanism.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- The answer Explain the ecological and economic benefits of solar energy generation in India with suitable Indian examples. 10 marks · 150 words
explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close
Must cover
- Ecological benefit: reduction in carbon emissions and air pollutants
- Ecological benefit: low water use compared with thermal power
- Economic benefit: low and falling electricity costs; reduced fossil-fuel imports
- Economic benefit: job creation, rural income and energy access
Loses marks
- Generic environmentalism without specific solar mechanism
- Ignoring the India context (global examples only)
- Narrating history of solar energy instead of benefits
Earns more
- Mention of a specific Indian solar park (e.g., Bhadla, Pavagada)
- Mention of PM-KUSUM or PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (rooftop)
- Reference to India's 500 GW non-fossil capacity target for 2030
- Comparison with thermal power costs or record-low solar tariffs
Extra mark
- Specific statistic on CO2 avoided
- Mention of agrivoltaics or floating solar (e.g., Omkareshwar, Ramagundam)
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.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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