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.
It asks 3 things — 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 · Data: by 31 October 2016 India had 46.33 GW of renewable capacity, about 15% of its 307 GW total (MNRE), and ranked fourth in the world in wind power; supply-side targets and LED-led efficiency now move together.
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 · Cheaper clean supply and avoided demand are two halves of one strategy, serving SDG 7.2 (a substantially higher renewable share) and SDG 7.3 (doubling the rate of energy-efficiency improvement) on the way to 500 GW.
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.”
- UJALA procurement price fell about 90% in three years, from Rs 310 to Rs 38 (2014-17): the demand-aggregation model that made LEDs affordable without subsidy.PIB e-booklet on UJALA (January 2023): price fall ↗“The procured price reduced by almost 90 per cent between 2014 and 2017; from Rs. 310 to Rs. 38.”
- UJALA scale as on 5 January 2023: 36.86 crore LEDs, 72.18 lakh tubelights and 23.59 lakh fans distributed.PIB e-booklet on UJALA (January 2023): distribution figures ↗“Lack of awareness about the reduction of electricity bills by the use of LEDs 72.18 LAKH TUBELIGHTS 23.59 LAKH FANS 36.86 CRORE LEDS”
- IEA case study cited by PIB: UJALA cuts household electricity bills by about 5%, saving consumers over Rs 1,600 crore (16 billion rupees) a year.PIB e-booklet on UJALA (January 2023): IEA finding ↗“IIEA, in its report, published that UJALA is reducing annual household electricity bills by about 5 per cent, saving consumers over 16 billion rupees every year.”
- India's INDC (2015): 33-35% cut in emissions intensity of GDP by 2030 from 2005, and about 40% cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.India's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to UNFCCC (2015) ↗“To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level. 4. To achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non- fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030”
- SDG 7.2 and 7.3 wording: raise the renewable share substantially and double the global rate of energy-efficiency improvement by 2030.UN SDG 7 targets (sdgs.un.org) ↗“Target 7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix Indicators 7.2.1 Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption Target 7.3 By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2016, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 302words · Minimalist IAS
By 31 October 2016 India had 46.33 GW of renewable capacity, about 15% of its 307 GW total (MNRE), and ranked fourth in the world in wind power. Clean supply and efficient demand now move as one strategy.
Current status of renewable energy sources
- Wind and solar: wind holds the largest share; solar grows fastest as tariffs fall; small hydro exceeds 4.3 GW.
- Enablers and gaps: the International Solar Alliance (2015), green energy corridors and renewable purchase obligations; but land, grid integration, storage and weak DISCOMs hold back growth.
Targets to be achieved
- 175 GW by 2022, a deadline since missed: 100 GW solar, 60 GW wind, 10 GW biomass and 5 GW small hydro, five times the 35 GW of March 2015 (INDC).
- INDC, 2015: about 40% non-fossil power capacity by 2030 and a 33-35% cut in emissions intensity of GDP from 2005 levels.
- Since then: Glasgow's Panchamrit (2021) raised this to 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net zero by 2070.
Importance of the National Programme on LEDs
- Energy saving: a 7 W LED matches a 60 W incandescent bulb, saving almost 90% energy; launched 5 January 2015 as UJALA under EESL to replace about 77 crore bulbs.
- Market transformation: bulk procurement cut the procured price by about 90%, from Rs 310 to Rs 38 (2014-17), so no heavy subsidy was needed.
- Scale and savings: 36.86 crore LEDs by January 2023; the IEA found UJALA trims household bills by about 5%, saving over Rs 1,600 crore a year.
- Bulk procurement
- 90% price fall
- Pay-as-you-save on bills
- 36.86 crore LEDs
- Lower peak demand and emissions
Cheaper clean supply and avoided demand are two halves of one strategy, serving SDG 7.2 (a substantially higher renewable share) and SDG 7.3 (doubling the rate of energy-efficiency improvement) on the way to 500 GW.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
