UPSC Mains 2016 · GS Paper III · Q11

UPSC Mains 2016 GS Paper 3 Q11: model answer

Give an account of the current status and the targets to be achieved pertaining to renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss in brief the importance of the National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

12 marks200 wordsDirective: Discuss

What the question wants

Give the present status and targets of renewable energy in India, and briefly explain why the national LED programme matters.

How to structure it

Status, targets, LEDs.

Current status by source
Targets
Gaps
UJALA and SLNP
Why LEDs matter

How to think it through

2016 target: 175 GW by 2022 (100 solar, 60 wind, 10 bio, 5 small hydro). Missed in time but crossed later. Now: RE ~289 GW (June 2026); non-fossil 300.5 GW (July 2026): solar ~165, wind ~58, hydro ~57, bio ~12, nuclear ~9. Targets: 500 GW non-fossil by 2030; 50% non-fossil capacity reached June 2025. LEDs: UJALA (2015) >36 crore bulbs; SLNP; energy savings, peak demand cut, CO2 avoided, price fell from ~₹310 to ~₹70.

Model answer

When UJALA began in January 2015, an LED bulb cost about ₹310 in the shops. Bulk buying by EESL brought it to around ₹70 within two years, and India became one of the world's largest LED markets. Sometimes the cheapest power plant is the one you never need to build.

Current status

Non-fossil capacity crossed 300 GW in July 2026 (MNRE), with renewables alone at about 289 GW in June 2026.
Solar: about 165 GW, the fastest-growing source, from under 3 GW in 2014.
Wind: about 58 GW, concentrated in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Large hydro about 57 GW and bio-power about 12 GW.
India met 50% of installed capacity from non-fossil sources in June 2025, five years early.

Targets

The 2015 target of 175 GW by 2022 was missed on time but crossed later.
500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, under the updated NDC.
Green hydrogen: 5 million tonnes a year by 2030.

Gaps

Generation share is much lower than capacity share, because solar runs only by day.
Storage, transmission and discom payments lag.

The LED programme

UJALA: over 36 crore LED bulbs distributed.
Street Lighting National Programme: about 1.3 crore smart LED street lights.

Why it matters

Cuts peak demand in the evening.
Lowers household bills and municipal costs.
Avoids millions of tonnes of CO2 each year.
Built a domestic LED industry.

Adding green supply and cutting waste are two sides of one energy policy.

Draw: A pie chart of non-fossil capacity by source in 2026.

Keywords, cases and data to drop in

175 GW by 2022, 500 GW by 2030, 50% non-fossil June 2025, solar 165 GW, UJALA 2015, EESL, SLNP, demand-side management, peak load.

Where most answers lose marks

Quoting old 2016 figures as current. Give the latest numbers with dates.

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