GS Paper III — Q6
How can India achieve energy independence through clean technology by 2047 ? How can biotechnology can play a crucial role in…
How can India achieve energy independence through clean technology by 2047 ? How can biotechnology can play a crucial role in this endeavour ? (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
भारत, वर्ष 2047 तक स्वच्छ प्रौद्योगिकी के माध्यम से ऊर्जा स्वतंत्रता कैसे प्राप्त कर सकता है ? जैव-प्रौद्योगिकी इस प्रयास में किस प्रकार महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभा सकती है ? (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)
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 can transition from its heavy crude import dependence to energy independence by 2047 through a two-pronged strategy:
Clean Technology Pathways: Scaling non-fossil capacity to 500 GW by 2030, deploying the National Green Hydrogen Mission for industrial decarbonisation, and integrating grid-scale battery and pumped-hydro energy storage solutions.
Biotechnology Interventions: Advanced Biofuels: Scaling second-generation (2G) bioethanol from agricultural residue, biodiesel from non-edible seeds (Jatropha, Karanja), and exploring algal biofuels to meet and build on the National Policy on Biofuels’ blending targets (E20 ethanol, reached in 2025; 5% biodiesel by 2030). Bio-refineries and Circular Economy: Establishing integrated bio-refineries, waste-to-energy plants under the SATAT scheme for compressed bio-gas, and developing microbial fuel cells. R&D in Synthetic Biology: Engineering microbial strains and enzymes to overcome feedstock recalcitrance, improving cost competitiveness and conversion efficiency.
Accelerating clean technology alongside biotechnology will slash India's import bills, foster rural employment, and secure energy sovereignty for Amrit Kaal 2047.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS3 Technology & Environment
What earns full marks: Links specific biotech (algae/ethanol) to 2047 grid/transport targets.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- The answer Explain how clean technology can make India energy independent by 2047 and the specific role biotechnology can play. 10 marks · 150 words
explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close
Must cover
- Renewables at scale with storage and grid upgrades (500 GW non-fossil by 2030)
- Green hydrogen and electrification of transport and industry
- Biotechnology: biofuels (1G/2G ethanol, biodiesel, compressed biogas) replacing imported fuel
- Policy framework (National Policy on Biofuels, SATAT, Green Hydrogen Mission)
Loses marks
- Generic clean energy without specific technologies
- Ignoring biotechnology
- Aspirational writing without measures
Earns more
- Ethanol blending achievements (E20 in 2025) and next targets
- Enzymes and engineered microbes for 2G ethanol; algal fuels
- Circular economy: crop residue, municipal waste to energy (GOBARdhan)
- Nuclear and critical minerals as part of the mix
Extra mark
- Stated goals: energy independence by 2047, net zero by 2070
- BioE3 policy (2024) for biomanufacturing
What "How" is asking you to do
Set out the route by which the outcome comes about, step by step. Many how stems ask how one thing affects another, and there the channel of transmission is precisely what is being marked.
Structure that answers it
Starting condition → step → step → outcome reached → the conditions the route depends on
Where marks are lost
Answering why it happens instead of how, the commonest single misread in the paper. An answer full of causes and significance that never traces the mechanism has answered a different question.
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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