Chat with us
General Studies 2026 GS Paper III 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper III — Q11

Explain the key challenges for India's energy security. What measures do you suggest for ensuring energy security along with…

Explain the key challenges for India's energy security. What measures do you suggest for ensuring energy security along with economic growth and sustainability? (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत की ऊर्जा सुरक्षा की प्रमुख चुनौतियों को समझाइए। आर्थिक संवृद्धि तथा संधारणीयता के साथ, ऊर्जा सुरक्षा को सुनिश्चित करने हेतु आप किन उपायों का सुझाव देंगे? (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q11 of the 2026 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, as printed
The question as printed in the 2026 General Studies paper
Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2026 General Studies questions

Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Energy security is foundational for sustaining India's economic growth while transitioning towards net-zero emissions. However, this pursuit faces structural, geopolitical, and technical hurdles.

Key Challenges to Energy Security

India suffers from severe import dependence, sourcing roughly 85% of its crude oil and significant volumes of coking coal externally. This reliance leaves macroeconomic stability vulnerable to imported inflation and balance-of-payments stress. Compounding this, geopolitical vulnerabilities—such as ongoing Middle East instability and the Russia-Ukraine war—disrupt maritime trade corridors and induce acute global price volatility. Domestically, while renewable capacity is expanding rapidly, the inherent intermittency of solar and wind power creates grid-balancing issues. Without adequate, affordable storage solutions, this intermittency threatens grid stability during peak load hours.

Measures for Secure, Sustainable Growth

To mitigate immediate supply shocks, India must expand its Strategic Petroleum Reserves, currently operational at Visakhapatnam, Mangalore, and Padur, alongside accelerating the E20 ethanol blending target to curb fossil fuel import volumes.

For medium-term sustainability, industrial manufacturing must be anchored through Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for high-efficiency solar PV modules and Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage. Concurrently, the National Green Hydrogen Mission provides a viable pathway to decarbonise hard-to-abate industrial sectors without compromising manufacturing output.

For long-term, diversified baseload power, expanding nuclear capacity through initiatives like Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs) is vital to complement intermittent renewables. Globally, leveraging the International Solar Alliance (ISA) enables cross-border grid integration and resilient supply chains.

Synchronising strategic domestic reserves, indigenised clean-technology manufacturing, and non-fossil baseload power will enable India to reconcile rapid economic expansion with robust energy sovereignty and decarbonisation.

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: Situation > Analysis > Measures > Assessment. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Comprehensive analysis of challenges with specific, implementable measures linking security, growth, and sustainability.

Key points expected

  • Identify 3-4 specific challenges (e.g., import dependence, infrastructure gaps).
  • Suggest measures addressing economic growth and sustainability.
  • Link measures to specific challenges or outcomes.
  • Maintain balance between security, growth, and environmental concerns.

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Define energy security, list 3-4 key challenges, and suggest implementable measures for growth and sustainability.  · 250 words

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

    Must cover

    • Identify 3-4 specific challenges (e.g., import dependence, infrastructure gaps).
    • Suggest measures addressing economic growth and sustainability.
    • Link measures to specific challenges or outcomes.
    • Maintain balance between security, growth, and environmental concerns.

    Loses marks

    • Vague, aspirational measures without implementation details.
    • Ignoring sustainability or economic growth aspects.
    • Over-reliance on a single energy source or solution.

    Earns more

    • Mention specific renewable energy targets or schemes.
    • Reference energy efficiency initiatives or policies.
    • Discuss regional or international energy partnerships.
    • Include data on current energy mix or import levels.

    Extra mark

    • Cite a specific current scheme with a numerical target.
    • Include a simple flowchart of energy supply-demand dynamics.

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.

Evaluate my answer →

More from General Studies 2026 GS Paper III