Ensuring energy security in India

Topic : Energy (GS Paper III)

The battles of yesteryears were fought over land, while those of today centre around energy. One of the biggest factors behind the current shifts in geopolitics is energy. Whether it is the American invasions in the Middle East, or the Chinese hegemony in East and South Asia, these are just the different means to achieve the greater end, that is energy. The world witnesses a scramble for resources by energy-hungry nations, who are in a mad rush behind resources to feed their developmental needs.

Now, where is India placed in this state of affairs? The nation under a new government is showing every sign of an accelerated growth in the coming years. There is huge requirement for energy to satisfy its burning bowels. India has been looking for energy sources, both at home and abroad. Energy agreements which India signed with countries such as Australia, which had diametrically opposite views in many subjects, serves as an indicator for the nation's ambitious plans of development at any cost. Now, what are the different sources that India is banking upon to satisfy its huge energy needs. Let us analyse this.

The largest source of power production in India are coal-fired thermal power plants accounting for 58% of the total installed capacity. This is followed by hydroelectricity(17%), renewable energy resource(12%), natural gas(9%) and nuclear energy(2%). India is heavily dependent upon external sources in case of coal, natural-gas and nuclear energy. Hydro-electricity and renewable energy sources are harnessed at home, but are way short of the current demands. Thus India is facing an acute energy-crisis with an accelerated economic expansion in one hand and a large rural population without power on the other.

The current policy of the Government is the development of unconventional and clean energy sources. The most important among them are the renewable energy and nuclear energy, for which talks are going on various levels. The renewable energy sector includes wind (which remains the largest among renewable sources with 65% of the installed capacity), small-hydro power(upto 25 MW capacity), solar power, biomass and bagasse co-generation and waste to energy conversion. The sticking points here are the absence of a modern cost-efficient technology and the administrative bottlenecks. Nuclear energy is another area which India is pushing forward, but requires not just the modern technology but also the essential resources including the nuclear fuel. 

Considering the relevance of the topic, we will have discussions on the energy related issues in India and the various means through which the nation has been harnessing the different resources. Stay on for more information on energy matters.

Next in line : Solar energy in India.

The strategy for preparation

I had stressed upon 3 points in my last article - the significance of the syllabus, relevance of current affairs and the ability to link different facts. Considering these, I am adopting the following approach for the effective preparation for the examination.

• Selecting an important current issue.
• Describing its significance with respect to the CSE.
• Analysing the issue in an easy, interactive and graspable manner. 
• Explaining the related terms, if any.
• People can add more points or get your doubts clarified through the "Comments" section.

Unlike what happens in other examination preparations, here the candidate has a very greater role than that of the mentor. The very nature of the examination demands a greater commitment from the candidate and a combined effort, where every individual adds value, is the ideal model. Hence, try to inculcate a "give more, take more" attitude so that it is not just you who is benefited, but others too. I hope, this online platform can be of a great help to you. Wishing you all the very best in your endeavours.

Civil Services Examination - the myths and the realities.

The Civil Services Examination(CSE) is often considered as the most challenging  competitive examination in India. With a diverse set of subjects spanning across a wide-ranging syllabus and a long preparation period, it requires real effort from the candidates to succeed in this mission. The general notion has been that CSE is a memory based examination where we have to mug up a lot of things which result in rote learning. Thus the adage "anything under the Sun can be asked" has often been related to this examination. Such an understanding (or rather a misunderstanding) has discouraged many aspirants from pursuing a career in civil services. Hence, it is important to clear the air regarding this.

It is true that hard-work pays off in any challenging task, but in CSE we need to do a little bit of smart-work too. This implies we need act judiciously while preparing for the examination. A vital part of the preparation is identifying the various topics that will be asked for the examination. The syllabus as notified by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) serves as best source for choosing the required topics and weeding out the unnecessary ones. A quick analysis of the previous question papers of CSE reveals that UPSC has stuck to the syllabus while framing the questions. Hence, I feel if there is anything to mug up without fail for the examination, then it is the syllabus!!

Another important feature of the examination is the type of questions being asked. The CSE has been subject to changes, both in terms of format and content over the recent years. Prominent among them is the type questions that have more or less become issue-based rather than subject-based. Breaking with convention, where questions were asked from subjects like Polity, Economics etc, the current format would test the candidates understanding on the relevant issues affecting India. This requires a good command over the current affairs, a subtle mind to analyse them and an ability to present your ideas in a crisp and clear manner. What matters the most and what requires the greatest effort is to link the different facts you learn from different areas and developing your views on those. Hence the key for the CSE would be holistic learning rather than rote learning.