Prelims · Geography · 46 questions

Minerals, energy & industry

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Prelims 2017 · Q22

Medium

It is possible to produce algae based biofuels, but what is/are the likely limitation(s) of developing countries in promoting this industry?

1.Production of algae based biofuels is possible in seas only and not on continents.
2.Setting up and engineering the algae based biofuel production requires high level of expertise/technology until the construction is completed.
3.Economically viable production necessitates the setting up of large scale facilities which may raise ecological and social concerns.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Algae for fuel are grown on land, in open ponds or closed photobioreactors, often on non-arable land with non-potable water, so statement 1 is false. The real hurdles for a developing country are the engineering know-how needed and the very large scale (land, water, nutrients, CO2) needed to make it pay.

✗ 1. Algae are cultivated on land in open raceway ponds, attached-growth systems and closed photobioreactors; non-arable land is listed as one of the resources for growing them.
✓ 2. Designing cultivation systems that keep resource use and costs low while keeping productivity high, and then harvesting and processing the biomass, needs advanced technology and skills.
✓ 3. An algal biofuel industry has to scale up to use a large amount of land, water, nutrients and CO2, which can compete with other uses and raise ecological and social concerns.

Remember · Algal (third-generation) biofuel: grown on land in ponds or photobioreactors, even on non-arable land with saline or waste water; the limits are technology and the scale needed to be viable.

Sources

US Department of Energy, Bioenergy Technologies: Algal Production ↗ “grow algae viably include non-arable land, non-potable water, waste nutrient streams, waste carbon dioxide, sufficient sunlight, and supporting infrastructure to access downstream processing operations. Development of an algal biofuel industry requires scaling up to use a significant amount of these resources. … open ponds, attached growth systems, and closed photobioreactors. Cultivation systems must minimize resource use and costs while maximizing productivity.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2017 · Q27

Easy

The term ‘Domestic Content Requirement’ is sometimes seen in the news with reference to

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) Developing solar power production in our country

Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, some solar projects had to use Indian-made solar cells and modules. These Domestic Content Requirements (DCR) were challenged by the United States at the WTO, which is why the term was in the news before 2017.

✓ (a) In 2013 the US sought WTO consultations on India's domestic content requirements for solar cells and modules under the National Solar Mission; the panel found the DCR measures gave imported cells and modules less favourable treatment.
✗ (b) Licensing of foreign TV channels is governed by uplinking and downlinking guidelines, not by a 'domestic content requirement'.
✗ (d) Campuses of foreign universities are a question of education regulation; the DCR debate concerned locally made solar equipment.

Remember · Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) = mandatory use of Indian-made solar cells and modules under the National Solar Mission; the US won the WTO case (DS456) against it.