UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

India had pledged that 50% of its installed power capacity would come from non-fossil sources by 2030. Achieving this threshold around 2025 means the country has crossed this milestone several years ahead of schedule. This reflects rapid growth in solar, wind and other non-fossil capacities, even though coal still plays a role in generation. The early achievement strengthens India’s credibility in climate negotiations and shows that development and decarbonisation can advance together when supported by policy and investment.

Option A:
This option is incorrect because reaching 50% non-fossil capacity does not mean that future renewable investments are unnecessary. Continued growth is needed to meet rising demand, reduce coal dependence and support net-zero aspirations.

Option B:
This option wrongly equates a capacity share milestone with net-zero emissions, which require much deeper transformations across all sectors. Even with 50% non-fossil capacity, fossil fuels still contribute significantly to emissions.

Option C:
This option correctly links the milestone with India’s earlier 2030 target and highlights that it has been achieved ahead of time. It recognises the significance of this development for both climate credibility and domestic energy planning.

Option D:
This option is incorrect because coal remains an important part of India’s generation mix even after the capacity milestone. The achievement reflects capacity shares, not a complete phase-out of coal.

One of the central quantitative elements of India’s Panchamrit is the pledge to reach 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030. Non-fossil here includes solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and other renewables. Achieving this scale implies a rapid build-out of clean energy infrastructure while meeting growing demand in a developing economy. It is meant to anchor India’s contribution to global mitigation efforts under the Paris Agreement. (MEA India)

Option A:
This option understates the ambition of India’s announced target and does not match official statements. A 200 GW figure would not represent the transformative shift highlighted in the Panchamrit and therefore is incorrect.

Option B:
While higher than option A, this 300 GW figure still falls short of the actual commitment. It does not reflect the scale at which India has signalled its intent to deploy non-fossil capacity, so it cannot be considered correct.

Option C:
400 GW is closer to the real number but still does not match the explicit figure given in the Prime Minister’s COP26 statement. In competitive exams, such approximate guesses are treated as incorrect when a precise officially stated value is available.

Option D:
This option correctly states the announced target of 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030. It is consistent with official speeches and policy documents and is central to India’s long-term decarbonisation strategy.