This MCQ module is based on: Non-Conventional Energy, Conservation & Exercises
TOPIC 15 OF 27
Non-Conventional Energy, Conservation & Exercises
🎓 Class 12
Social Science
CBSE
Theory
Chapter 5 — Mineral and Energy Resources
⏱ ~28 min
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Non-Conventional Energy, Conservation & Exercises
NCERT India: People and Economy — Unit III, Chapter 5 (Part 3 — Final)
Why Non-Conventional Energy?
Fossil-fuel sources — coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear minerals — depend on raw materials that are exhaustible and largely polluting. Sustainable energy must therefore come from renewable? sources such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass. These resources are more equitably distributed, environment-friendly and, after the initial capital cost, cheaper to operate. India today (2024) is the 4th largest installed renewable-energy capacity globally, with about 200 GW of clean power.
Fig 5.6 — India: Solar & Wind Energy Potential (Schematic)
Highest solar GHI
Highest wind speeds
Solar plant
Wind farm
Solar Energy
Sun rays tapped in photovoltaic cells can be converted into electrical energy. The two effective processes considered very efficient for tapping solar energy are photovoltaics and solar thermal technology. Solar thermal has several relative advantages over non-renewable sources — it is cost-competitive, environment-friendly and easy to construct.
The NCERT notes that solar energy is 7 per cent more effective than coal- or oil-based plants and 10 per cent more effective than nuclear plants. It is generally used in appliances such as heaters, crop dryers and cookers. The western part of India — Gujarat and Rajasthan — has the greatest potential for solar development.
Today’s reality: India is now the world’s 4th largest solar producer
| Solar plant / project | State | Notable fact |
|---|---|---|
| Bhadla Solar Park? | Jodhpur, Rajasthan | About 2,245 MW — one of the world’s largest single-site solar parks; commissioned in 2020 |
| Pavagada Solar Park | Tumakuru, Karnataka | 2,050 MW; built on 13,000 acres of arid farmland leased from local farmers |
| Kurnool Ultra Mega | Andhra Pradesh | 1,000 MW |
| Charanka Solar Park | Patan, Gujarat | India’s first solar park, commissioned 2012; 790 MW today |
| Rewa Solar | Madhya Pradesh | 750 MW; first plant to sell power below ₹3/kWh |
International Solar Alliance (ISA) & PM-KUSUM
India launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? at the 2015 Paris Climate Summit jointly with France. Its permanent headquarters at Gurugram were inaugurated in 2018. The ISA is a treaty-based group of 100+ ‘sun-belt’ nations between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn working to mobilise USD 1 trillion of solar investment by 2030.
Within India, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (2010) targeted 100 GW of solar by 2022 — a target met in 2024 with about 90 GW. The latest scheme, PM-KUSUM (2019), supports the installation of 30.8 GW of solar pumps and grid-connected solar on farmers’ barren land, helping farmers earn from electricity sales while running their tube-wells.
Wind Energy
Wind energy is absolutely pollution-free and inexhaustible. The mechanism of energy conversion from blowing wind is simple: the kinetic energy of wind, through turbines, is converted into electrical energy.
The permanent wind systems — trade winds, westerlies — and the seasonal wind monsoon have all been used as sources of energy. Local winds, land and sea breezes can also generate electricity. India already started generating wind energy in the early 1990s. In Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka, favourable conditions for wind energy exist.
India is today the 4th largest installed wind-power producer after China, the USA and Germany, with about 47 GW of capacity. Major wind farms include:
- Muppandal & Aralvaimozhi? in coastal Tamil Nadu — among the world’s largest onshore wind clusters, exploiting the funnel effect of the Palghat gap.
- Bhuj — Lamba wind farm in Gujarat — one of Asia’s earliest large wind farms.
- Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and the Sahyadri ridge in Maharashtra (Satara, Sangli) and Karnataka.
Tidal & Wave Energy
Ocean currents are the store-house of infinite energy. Since the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, persistent efforts were made to create efficient energy systems from the ceaseless tidal waves and ocean currents. Large tidal waves are known to occur along the west coast of India; hence, India has great potential for the development of tidal energy along the coasts — though this potential remains largely unutilised so far.
Indian sites with the highest theoretical tidal-energy potential are:
- Gulf of Kutch (Gujarat) — tidal range up to 11 m
- Gulf of Cambay (Khambhat) — tidal range up to 12 m
- Sundarbans in the Ganga delta — both tidal and small-river potential
Geothermal Energy
When magma from the interior of the earth comes out on the surface, tremendous heat is released. This heat energy can successfully be tapped and converted to electrical energy. The hot water that gushes out through geyser wells is also used to generate thermal energy — popularly known as geothermal energy?. It is now considered one of the key alternate energy sources.
Did You Know
The first successful (1890) attempt to tap underground heat was made in the city of Boise, Idaho (U.S.A.), where a hot-water pipe network was built to heat the surrounding buildings. That plant is still working today.
In India, a geothermal energy plant has been commissioned at Manikaran? in Himachal Pradesh. Other notable geothermal sites are Puga Valley in Ladakh, the Tatapani belt in Chhattisgarh, and the Cambay Graben in Gujarat.
Bio-Energy
Bio-energy refers to energy derived from biological products, including agricultural residues, municipal waste, industrial waste and other organic refuse. Bio-energy can be converted into electrical energy, heat energy or gas for cooking.
Bio-energy will also process waste and garbage to produce energy. This will improve economic life in rural areas of developing countries, reduce environmental pollution, enhance self-reliance and reduce pressure on fuelwood. One such project converting municipal waste into energy is at Okhla in Delhi. Bagasse — the fibre left after sugarcane crushing — powers many sugar mills in Maharashtra and UP, and family-scale Gobar gas (cattle-dung) plants are widespread in rural India.
Discuss — How is India utilising non-conventional energy?
(NCERT in-text question.) How is India utilising non-conventional energy resources? Discuss.
Sample answer. Solar capacity has grown from under 50 MW in 2010 to about 90 GW in 2024 — led by Bhadla (Rajasthan) and Pavagada (Karnataka). Wind power has crossed 47 GW with hubs at Muppandal (Tamil Nadu), Lamba (Gujarat) and Jaisalmer (Rajasthan). Geothermal pilots run at Manikaran (HP) and Puga (Ladakh). Tidal potential at the Gulfs of Kutch and Cambay remains largely on paper. Bio-energy is widespread — over 5 million Gobar gas plants and the Okhla waste-to-energy plant in Delhi. Through PM-KUSUM, ISA and the National Solar Mission, India has committed to 50% non-fossil installed capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070.
Chart — India’s Solar & Wind Capacity (GW), 2014–2024
Solar capacity grew over 30-fold; wind tripled; the renewable share of installed capacity climbed from 12% to over 40%.
Conservation of Mineral Resources & Energy Efficiency
The challenge of sustainable development requires the integration of the quest for economic development with environmental concerns. Traditional methods of resource use generate enormous quantities of waste and create other environmental problems. Hence, sustainable development calls for the protection of resources for future generations.
Strategies for energy conservation
BEE Star Ratings?
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE, est. 2002) labels appliances 1–5 stars. A 5-star refrigerator uses 30–40% less power than a 1-star.
LED Revolution (UJALA)
Under UJALA (2015) more than 36 crore LED bulbs were distributed at low prices, saving an estimated 47 billion units of electricity per year.
Electric Mobility
FAME-II and PM E-Drive subsidise electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses and cars to cut oil-imports.
Recycling Scrap Metal
Use of scrap is specially significant in metals like copper, lead and zinc in which India’s reserves are meagre — recycling cuts both ore use and energy demand.
India’s climate commitments
Under its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC)? submitted at the 2015 Paris Climate Summit and updated in 2022, India has pledged:
- 50 per cent of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030
- Reduce the emission intensity of GDP by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030
- Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forest cover
- Net-zero emissions by 2070 (Glasgow COP-26 announcement)
Conservation of mineral resources
The alternative energy sources like solar power, wind, wave and geothermal energy are inexhaustible resources. They should be developed to replace the exhaustible resources. In the case of metallic minerals:
- Use of scrap metals enables recycling.
- Use of substitutes for scarce metals reduces consumption.
- Export of strategic and scarce minerals must be reduced so existing reserves last longer.
- R&D for cleaner extraction and use of low-grade ores is essential.
Competency-Based Questions — Renewable Energy & Conservation
Case Study: A government white-paper notes that India is the 4th largest installed renewable-energy producer in the world, that the 2,245 MW Bhadla solar park in Rajasthan and the 1,500 MW Muppandal wind farm in Tamil Nadu are global benchmarks, and that India has pledged 50% non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070. Use this background for the questions below.
1. Which of the following is NOT a non-conventional energy source?
L1 Remember
Answer: (c) Petroleum. It is a fossil fuel and therefore a conventional, exhaustible source.
2. Why does Rajasthan have such high solar potential while Kerala does not?
L4 Analyse
Answer: Rajasthan’s arid west receives 6.0–7.0 kWh/m²/day of Global Horizontal Irradiance with 300+ clear-sky days annually, low cloud cover and almost no monsoon. Kerala, although closer to the equator, has dense cloud cover, two monsoons (SW & NE) and high humidity, cutting effective solar yield to 4.5–5.0 kWh/m²/day. Kerala’s comparative advantage instead lies in monazite (thorium) and small hydro.
3. Compare the strategic value of investing in geothermal (Manikaran, Puga) vs tidal energy (Gulf of Kutch) for India’s 2030 energy mix.
L5 Evaluate
Answer: Geothermal at Manikaran (HP) and Puga (Ladakh) offers reliable baseload at 100–500 MW scale and high capacity factor, but suitable hot-spots are few. Tidal energy at the Gulf of Kutch and Cambay theoretically offers 7,000–8,000 MW potential but capital cost is enormous and ecological impact on mangroves is severe. For 2030, scaling proven solar+wind is more cost-effective; geothermal pilots and tidal R&D should run in parallel as long-term options.
4. Design a school-level energy-conservation plan that uses three of the strategies described in this lesson.
L6 Create
Sample plan: (i) Install a 25 kWp rooftop solar PV plant on the school terrace, sized to meet ~70% of daytime load. (ii) Replace all CFL/incandescent fittings with BEE 5-star LED tubes; payback in under 2 years. (iii) Set up a Gobar gas / wet-waste digester in the kitchen yard to convert canteen waste to cooking gas. (iv) Run a ‘Bijli Bachao’ weekly audit by Class XI students who track and post weekly kWh savings. (v) Plant 200 trees on campus to offset residual emissions. Result: 60–70% bill cut and a working classroom for the chapter.
HOT — India has pledged net-zero by 2070 and 50% non-fossil capacity by 2030. What are the two biggest geographical and economic challenges to meeting these targets?
L5 Evaluate
Answer: (a) Geographical challenge — renewable supply is concentrated in the south and west (solar Rajasthan/Gujarat, wind TN/Karnataka), while demand is in the north and east; this requires huge inter-state transmission — the “Green Corridor” HVDC lines — and grid storage. (b) Economic challenge — coal currently provides ~70% of electricity and supports about 1 million livelihoods (mining, transport, ash disposal); a “just transition” for Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha will require fresh investment in re-skilling, alternative industry and royalty-replacement funds.
Assertion & Reason — Renewable Energy
Assertion (A): Western Rajasthan and Gujarat have India’s highest solar-energy potential.
Reason (R): These regions receive over 300 clear-sky days a year with very high direct normal irradiance.
Reason (R): These regions receive over 300 clear-sky days a year with very high direct normal irradiance.
Correct: (A) — The Thar desert receives ~6.5 kWh/m²/day of GHI; minimal cloud cover means PV panels operate near nameplate output for most of the year.
Assertion (A): The headquarters of the International Solar Alliance is in India.
Reason (R): India founded the ISA jointly with France in 2015 to mobilise solar investment in 100+ tropical countries.
Reason (R): India founded the ISA jointly with France in 2015 to mobilise solar investment in 100+ tropical countries.
Correct: (A) — The ISA permanent secretariat is in Gurugram, Haryana (inaugurated 2018), reflecting India’s leadership of the alliance.
Assertion (A): Tidal energy along the Indian coast is being exploited at large commercial scale.
Reason (R): The Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Cambay record some of the highest tidal ranges in the world.
Reason (R): The Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Cambay record some of the highest tidal ranges in the world.
Correct: (D) — A is false because tidal energy in India is still at pilot stage; large commercial plants do not yet exist. R is true: the two Gulfs do have very high tidal ranges (up to 11–12 m).
NCERT Exercises — with Model Answers
1. Multiple-Choice Questions
(i) In which one of the following States are the major oil fields located?
(a) Assam (b) Bihar (c) Rajasthan (d) Tamil Nadu
Answer: (a) Assam. Digboi, Naharkatiya and Moran in Upper Assam are the country’s oldest commercial oilfields. Bihar, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have very small or no oil production.
(ii) At which one of the following places was the first atomic power station started?
(a) Kalpakkam (b) Narora (c) Rana Pratap Sagar (d) Tarapur
Answer: (d) Tarapur. India’s first atomic power station was commissioned at Tarapur in Maharashtra in 1969 with two boiling-water reactors of 160 MW each. Kalpakkam (1984), Rana Pratap Sagar/Rawatbhata (1973) and Narora (1991) came later.
(iii) Which one of the following is a non-renewable source of energy?
(a) Hydel (b) Solar (c) Thermal (d) Wind power
Answer: (c) Thermal. Thermal power in India runs predominantly on coal, which is a fossil fuel and therefore non-renewable. Hydel, solar and wind are renewable.
2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words
(i) Give an account of the distribution of mica in India.
Answer: India produces mica chiefly in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan, followed by Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. The high-quality belt runs about 150 km in the lower Hazaribagh plateau (Jharkhand), about 320 km from Jaipur to Bhilwara (Rajasthan), and centres on Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
(ii) What is nuclear power? Mention the important nuclear power stations in India.
Answer: Nuclear power is electricity generated by controlled fission of uranium or thorium in a reactor, releasing heat that boils water and drives a turbine. India’s major plants are Tarapur (Maharashtra), Rawatbhata (Rajasthan), Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu), Narora (Uttar Pradesh), Kakrapar (Gujarat), Kaiga (Karnataka) and Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu).
(iii) Name a non-ferrous metal. Discuss its spatial distribution.
Answer: Bauxite is the chief non-ferrous mineral. Odisha alone produces about 50% of India’s output (Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Koraput, Bolangir — especially the Panchpatmali plateau). Other producers are Jharkhand (Lohardaga), Maharashtra (Kolaba, Ratnagiri), Madhya Pradesh (Katni, Balaghat), Chhattisgarh (Amarkantak) and Gujarat (Bhavnagar, Jamnagar).
(iv) What are non-conventional sources of energy?
Answer: Non-conventional sources are renewable, environment-friendly resources that do not exhaust with use — solar, wind, tidal/wave, geothermal and bio-energy. They are equitably distributed in nature and provide cheaper, sustained energy after the initial capital cost.
3. Answer the following questions in about 150 words
(i) Write a detailed note on the petroleum resources of India.
Answer: Petroleum is called ‘liquid gold’ for its scarcity and diversified uses; it powers all internal-combustion engines and feeds petrochemical industries that produce fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, medicines, lubricants and cosmetics.
Crude oil in India occurs in sedimentary rocks of the Tertiary period. Systematic exploration began with the founding of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) in 1956; until then Digboi (Assam, 1859) was the only oil-producing region.
Today the major fields are: (a) Assam — Digboi, Naharkatiya, Moran; (b) Gujarat — Ankleshwar, Kalol, Mehsana, Nawagam, Kosamba, Lunej in the Cambay basin; (c) Mumbai High, an offshore field 160 km west of Mumbai discovered in 1973 (production from 1976), today contributing about 65% of India’s crude; and (d) the east-coast Krishna–Godavari and Cauvery basins, where new finds have been made.
Crude is refined in 23 plants. Field-based refineries (e.g. Digboi) sit near oilfields; market-based refineries (e.g. Barauni, Mathura) sit near consumers. The Reliance Jamnagar complex (Gujarat) is the world’s largest refining hub at 1.24 million bpd. Despite this network, India still imports about 80% of its crude.
Crude oil in India occurs in sedimentary rocks of the Tertiary period. Systematic exploration began with the founding of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) in 1956; until then Digboi (Assam, 1859) was the only oil-producing region.
Today the major fields are: (a) Assam — Digboi, Naharkatiya, Moran; (b) Gujarat — Ankleshwar, Kalol, Mehsana, Nawagam, Kosamba, Lunej in the Cambay basin; (c) Mumbai High, an offshore field 160 km west of Mumbai discovered in 1973 (production from 1976), today contributing about 65% of India’s crude; and (d) the east-coast Krishna–Godavari and Cauvery basins, where new finds have been made.
Crude is refined in 23 plants. Field-based refineries (e.g. Digboi) sit near oilfields; market-based refineries (e.g. Barauni, Mathura) sit near consumers. The Reliance Jamnagar complex (Gujarat) is the world’s largest refining hub at 1.24 million bpd. Despite this network, India still imports about 80% of its crude.
(ii) Write an essay on hydel power in India.
Answer: Hydroelectric power, popularly called hydel, is generated when falling water spins a turbine connected to a generator. It is renewable, has very low operating cost and produces no air pollution.
India’s hydel story began in 1897 with a 130 kW plant at Sidrapong (Darjeeling). After Independence, hydel was central to Nehru’s vision of multipurpose river-valley projects — the ‘temples of modern India’. The country has since built more than 300 large dams and runs about 47 GW of hydel capacity (~11% of total installed power) in 2024.
Major projects include Bhakra-Nangal on the Sutlej (Punjab/HP, 1614 MW), Hirakud on the Mahanadi (Odisha), the Damodar Valley system (Maithon, Panchet, Tilaiya, Konar), Nagarjuna Sagar on the Krishna, Sardar Sarovar on the Narmada, Tehri on the Bhagirathi, and the eastern Himalayan run-of-river plants — Subansiri, Ranganadi, Teesta. Pumped-storage plants like Kadana and Tehri-IV provide grid-balancing service for solar and wind.
Hydel projects offer flood control, irrigation and drinking water in addition to power. Their challenges, however, are significant: long gestation periods, displacement of rural and tribal populations, sedimentation in reservoirs and ecological disruption of river systems. The way forward lies in small & mini-hydel (under 25 MW), refurbishment of ageing plants and pumped storage to support the renewables grid.
India’s hydel story began in 1897 with a 130 kW plant at Sidrapong (Darjeeling). After Independence, hydel was central to Nehru’s vision of multipurpose river-valley projects — the ‘temples of modern India’. The country has since built more than 300 large dams and runs about 47 GW of hydel capacity (~11% of total installed power) in 2024.
Major projects include Bhakra-Nangal on the Sutlej (Punjab/HP, 1614 MW), Hirakud on the Mahanadi (Odisha), the Damodar Valley system (Maithon, Panchet, Tilaiya, Konar), Nagarjuna Sagar on the Krishna, Sardar Sarovar on the Narmada, Tehri on the Bhagirathi, and the eastern Himalayan run-of-river plants — Subansiri, Ranganadi, Teesta. Pumped-storage plants like Kadana and Tehri-IV provide grid-balancing service for solar and wind.
Hydel projects offer flood control, irrigation and drinking water in addition to power. Their challenges, however, are significant: long gestation periods, displacement of rural and tribal populations, sedimentation in reservoirs and ecological disruption of river systems. The way forward lies in small & mini-hydel (under 25 MW), refurbishment of ageing plants and pumped storage to support the renewables grid.
Map Work & Project
Map: On an outline map of India locate Bailadila, Bababudan, Singhbhum, Khetri, Panchpatmali, Jharia, Raniganj, Korba, Singareni, Digboi, Mumbai High, Bhadla, Muppandal, Manikaran and Jaduguda.
Hint — group by belt: Iron ore — Bailadila (Chhattisgarh), Bababudan (Karnataka), Singhbhum (Jharkhand). Copper — Khetri (Rajasthan). Bauxite — Panchpatmali (Odisha). Coal — Jharia, Raniganj, Korba, Singareni. Petroleum — Digboi (Assam), Mumbai High (offshore Maharashtra). Renewables — Bhadla (Rajasthan, solar), Muppandal (Tamil Nadu, wind), Manikaran (HP, geothermal). Atomic — Jaduguda uranium mine in Singhbhum, Jharkhand.
Project: Conduct a household audit of energy use over one week. Record electricity (kWh), LPG (kg), petrol (litres) and any biomass used. Compare with national per-capita averages and propose three changes.
Hint: Indian per-capita electricity consumption is ~1,300 kWh/year (~3.6 kWh/day). Compare your household’s daily kWh per person with this. Three sample changes: (a) replace any remaining CFL/incandescent with BEE 5-star LEDs; (b) shift to a 5-star inverter AC; (c) install a 2 kWp rooftop solar PV under the state’s net-metering policy.
Chapter 5 — Quick Summary
- India is rich in minerals because most of its peninsular crust is made of pre-Palaeozoic igneous and metamorphic rocks; the alluvial plains are mineral-poor.
- Minerals are metallic (ferrous + non-ferrous) and non-metallic (organic fuels + inorganic). All have three universal traits: uneven distribution, inverse quality–quantity, exhaustibility.
- Metallic minerals concentrate in three belts — North-Eastern Plateau, South-Western Plateau, North-Western Region — plus a Himalayan belt and offshore Indian Ocean. Most lie east of the Mangaluru–Kanpur line.
- Iron ore types: haematite & magnetite; producers Odisha (35%), Jharkhand (25%), Chhattisgarh (18%), Karnataka (12%); top mines Bailadila, Bababudan, Kudremukh, Singhbhum.
- Bauxite (50% Odisha — Panchpatmali), Copper (Singhbhum, Khetri, Balaghat), Mica (Hazaribagh, Nellore, Bhilwara).
- Conventional energy: Coal — 98% Gondwana, Damuda Series (Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro, Korba); Petroleum — Digboi (1859), Bombay High (65% of output), Gujarat fields, KG-Cauvery; 23 refineries with Jamnagar largest.
- Nuclear: 7 plants — Tarapur, Rawatbhata, Kalpakkam, Narora, Kakrapar, Kaiga, Kudankulam. Uranium from Jaduguda; thorium from Kerala monazite.
- Non-conventional: India is 4th largest renewable producer globally. Bhadla (Rajasthan), Pavagada (Karnataka), Muppandal (TN), Lamba (Gujarat), Manikaran (HP). ISA HQ at Gurugram (2018); PM-KUSUM for solar agriculture.
- India’s climate pledges: 50% non-fossil capacity by 2030; net-zero by 2070.
- Conservation = recycling scrap + substitutes + technology + reduced exports of strategic minerals + energy efficiency (BEE, LED, EVs).
Key Terms & Concepts
MineralA natural substance with definite chemical composition and physical properties.
Ferrous mineralA metallic mineral containing iron, e.g. iron ore, manganese, chromite.
Non-ferrous mineralA metallic mineral with no iron content, e.g. copper, bauxite, gold.
Hematite / MagnetiteThe two main iron-ore types found in India, with about 60–72% iron content.
Bailadila / BababudanPremier hematite/magnetite ranges in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka respectively.
SinghbhumDistrict in Jharkhand hosting India’s oldest iron ore, copper and uranium mines.
KudremukhMagnetite ore deposit in Karnataka inside the Western Ghats; mining halted 2006.
BauxiteAluminium ore formed by tropical weathering of laterite; Odisha leads (50%).
MicaSilicate mineral split into thin sheets; key insulator for electrical industry.
Gondwana coal~98% of Indian coal; ~250 Ma old; mostly bituminous and non-coking.
Anthracite / Bituminous / Lignite / PeatGrades of coal in decreasing order of carbon content.
Bombay High (Mumbai High)Offshore oilfield ~160 km west of Mumbai, discovered 1973.
DigboiIndia’s first commercial oilfield (Assam, 1859) and oldest refinery.
KG basinKrishna–Godavari east-coast sedimentary basin with major gas finds.
BhakraMulti-purpose dam on the Sutlej; 1614 MW hydel capacity.
ISAInternational Solar Alliance, HQ Gurugram, founded 2015 with France.
Bhadla2,245 MW solar park in Jodhpur, Rajasthan — among the world’s largest.
MuppandalOne of Asia’s largest onshore wind clusters, in Tamil Nadu.
ManikaranIndia’s commissioned geothermal site in Himachal Pradesh.
MonazitePhosphate mineral rich in thorium; world’s richest sands in Kerala.
BEEBureau of Energy Efficiency — star-ratings, building codes, UJALA-LED programme.
INDCIndia’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution under Paris 2015 — 50% non-fossil by 2030, net-zero 2070.
PM-KUSUMScheme to install 30.8 GW of solar pumps and grid-tied solar on farmer land.
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