According to India's National Policy on Biofuels, which of the following can be used as raw materials for the production of biofuels?
- 1.Cassava
- 2.Damaged wheat grains
- 3.Groundnut seeds
- 4.Horse gram
- 5.Rotten potatoes
- 6.Sugar beet
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1, 2, 5 and 6 only
The National Policy on Biofuels (2018) allows ethanol to be made from cassava, sugar beet, rotten potatoes and damaged food grains such as wheat that are unfit for human consumption. Groundnut and horse gram are edible crops, and the policy's biodiesel route is limited to non-edible oils.
- ✓ 1. The policy names cassava among the starch-containing materials for bioethanol.
- ✓ 2. It lists damaged food grains like wheat and broken rice that are unfit for human consumption as ethanol feedstock.
- ✗ 3. Groundnut is an edible oilseed; the policy's biodiesel feedstock is non-edible vegetable oil, acid oil, used cooking oil or animal fat.
- ✗ 4. Horse gram is a food pulse and is not named as a biofuel raw material.
- ✓ 5. Rotten potatoes are listed among the starch-containing materials.
- ✓ 6. Sugar beet is named among the sugar-containing materials, along with sugar cane and sweet sorghum.
Remember · Biofuel policy feedstock: sugar (cane, beet, sweet sorghum), starch (corn, cassava, rotten potato), unfit food grains for ethanol; non-edible oils and used cooking oil for biodiesel.
Sources
- National Policy on Biofuels-2018, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (Internet Archive copy) ↗ “‘bioethanol’: ethanol produced from biomass such as sugar containing materials, like sugar cane, sugar beet, sweet sorghum etc.; starch containing materials such as corn, cassava, rotten potatoes, algae etc.; … Damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice etc. which are unfit for human consumption, Food grains during surplus phase. … ‘biodiesel’: a methyl or ethyl ester of fatty acids produced from non-edible vegetable oils, acid oil, used cooking oil or animal fat and bio-oil;”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·