Prelims 2011 · archive
MediumIn the Union Budget 2011-12, a full exemption from the basic customs duty was extended to the bio-based asphalt (bioasphalt). What is the importance of this material?
- 1.Unlike traditional asphalt, bio- asphalt is not based on fossil fuels.
- 2.Bioasphalt can be made from non- renewable resources.
- 3.Bioasphalt can be made from organic waste materials.
- 4.It is eco-friendly to use bioasphalt for surfacing of the roads.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 1. 3 and 4 only
Answer (b): statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct. Bioasphalt is a road binder made from biological material and biowaste instead of crude oil, and it is designed to be eco-friendly. Statement 2 is wrong because its inputs are renewable, not non-renewable.
- ✓ 1. Bioasphalt is developed as an alternative binder to replace or reduce petroleum-based asphalt. It is made from biological material, not from fossil fuels such as crude oil.
- ✗ 2. Bioasphalt is made from biomass and biowaste, such as waste cooking oil and pulp-mill by-products. These are renewable, so it is not made from non-renewable resources.
- ✓ 3. Researchers have made a bio-based binder by mixing waste cooking oil with a by-product of pulp mills, producing a 'glue' that binds asphalt aggregates. Making bioasphalt from such by-products can also reduce the need for landfill areas.
- ✓ 4. Bioasphalt is intended as an eco-friendly binder made with green technology for road pavements. Producing it from waste by-products also helps cut landfill use and greenhouse gas release.
Remember · Bioasphalt is a bio-based road binder made from renewable biomass or organic waste. It is an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum bitumen.
Sources
- Transportation Research Board, Alternative Binders for Sustainable Asphalt Pavements (Circular E-C165) ↗ · reference work “The new asphalt binder should be eco-friendly and made from green technology. The sustainability approach taken by the highway industry has led the authors to develop ecologically sound asphalt, called bioasphalt. … Making bioasphalt from these byproducts can also reduce the need of landfill areas and help mitigate the release of greenhouse gases”
- US Federal Highway Administration, Novel Development of a Bio-Based Binder for Sustainable Construction ↗ “Researchers there developed and tested a method of mixing waste cooking oil with a byproduct of pulp mills. They produced a “glue” that bound the coarse and fne aggregate particles of asphalt.”
- Union Budget 2011-12, Memorandum Explaining the Provisions in the Finance Bill (customs) ↗ “Full exemption from basic customs duty is being extended on bio-based asphalt sealer and preservation agent, millings remover and crack filler, asphalt remover and corrosion protectant and sprayer system for bio-based asphalt applications.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2011, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·