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 National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
Approach · directive: “give an account / discuss”
What it asks · Describe where India stands in renewable energy and the targets set, then explain why the national LED programme matters for energy saving.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- Give an account: the current status of renewable energy sources in India
- Give an account: the targets set for renewable energy
- Discuss in brief: the importance of the National Programme on LEDs
Open with · India relies heavily on coal, but renewable sources and efficiency together are meant to meet rising demand while cutting emissions.
Cover
- Status: solar and wind lead capacity additions, with solar parks and rooftop schemes; hydro is large, biomass and small hydro are smaller, and solar costs have fallen sharply.
- Targets: in 2015 India set 175 GW of renewable capacity by 2022, of which 100 GW solar, 60 GW wind, 10 GW biomass and 5 GW small hydro.
- Climate targets: 40% non-fossil power capacity by 2030 (2015 pledge); at Glasgow in 2021, 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net zero by 2070.
- Enablers and gaps: the International Solar Alliance, green energy corridors and storage; challenges are land, grid integration, finance, DISCOM health and intermittency.
- LED programme: launched in January 2015 to replace inefficient bulbs, with a target of about 77 crore incandescent lamps, later run as UJALA through EESL.
- Importance: an LED uses far less power than an incandescent bulb, cutting peak demand, household bills and emissions, and lasts much longer.
- Method: bulk purchase and pay-as-you-save lowered LED prices sharply, so an efficiency programme paid for itself without heavy subsidy; a street-lighting programme followed.
Close with · Energy efficiency through LEDs and clean supply through renewables together lower emissions and cost, and both are needed for energy security.
Add value (verified)
- A single 7 W LED bulb gives the same light as a 60 W incandescent lamp, which is why the LED programme saves so much electricity. Factsheet: UJALA – Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All, Ministry of Power (PIB) ↗“A 7W LED bulb provides same amount of light as a 14W Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and a 60W Incandescent Lamp (ICL) and thereby saves almost 90 per cent energy as compared to ICLs and 50 per cent in case of CFLs.”
- MNRE (December 2016): 46.33 GW of installed renewable capacity, about 15% of India's total installed capacity of 307.27 GW as on 31 October 2016; the same release says India attained fourth position in the world in installed wind capacity. PIB, MNRE, 18 December 2016: A new dawn in Renewable Energy ↗“India has total installed power generation capacity of 307.27 GW as on 31.10.2016 from all resources. With 46.33 GW installed renewable power capacity, the renewable power has a share of about 15% to the total installed capacity.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2016, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 299 words (UPSC limit 200) · Minimalist IAS
India still generates most of its electricity from coal, but renewables and efficiency are now planned together to meet rising demand at lower emissions. By October 2016 the MNRE reported 46.33 GW of grid-connected renewable capacity, about 15% of the country's 307 GW total.
Current status
- Wind holds the largest share of renewable capacity, and India stands fourth in the world in installed wind power (2016).
- Solar is the fastest-growing segment as tariffs fall: solar parks, canal-top plants, rooftop systems and solar pumps; small hydro exceeds 4.3 GW, while biomass and waste-to-energy remain small.
- Enablers: the International Solar Alliance launched in 2015, green energy corridors for evacuating power, and renewable purchase obligations on DISCOMs.
- Gaps: land, grid integration and storage for intermittent power, finance, and weak DISCOMs that must buy the power.
Targets
- 175 GW of renewable capacity by 2022, set in 2015: 100 GW solar, 60 GW wind, 10 GW biomass and 5 GW small hydro.
- Climate pledge (INDC, 2015): 40% of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030 (since then, raised at Glasgow in 2021 to 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, with net zero by 2070).
Importance of the National LED Programme
- Launched on 5 January 2015, later branded UJALA and run by EESL, it aims to replace about 77 crore incandescent bulbs.
- A 7 W LED gives the light of a 60 W incandescent bulb, saving nearly 90% of the energy; it lasts far longer and cuts household bills, peak demand and emissions.
- Bulk procurement cut LED prices steeply, and pay-as-you-save instalments through electricity bills meant no heavy subsidy; a street-lighting programme followed on the same model.
Cleaner supply through renewables and lower demand through LEDs are two halves of one strategy; together they cut cost and emissions and strengthen India's energy security.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.