Infrastructure for Mains

India’s Fuel Pricing Policy : Analysis – UPSC GS3

Fuel pricing policy in India: India’s fuel pricing regime has evolved over the years. In 1995-96, the government thought of moving from an administered price mechanism on a cost-plus basis to market-determined consumer prices for petrol, diesel and other fuels. Based on the Nirmal Singh Committee recommendations full dismantling of oil prices was announced in 2002. As …

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National Land Monetisation Corporation : Why needed and its benefits – UPSC GS3

Context: Government approved the creation of the National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC) to carry out monetisation of government land holdings. What is Monetisation of Assets? Asset monetisation is the process of creating new sources of revenue for the government and its entities by unlocking the economic value of unutilised or underutilized public assets. How does …

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PM Gati Shakti : National Infrastructure Master Plan – UPSC GS3

Gati Shakti: National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity: PM GatiShakti is a digital platform that connects 16 ministries including Roads and Highways, Railways, Shipping, Petroleum and Gas, Power, Telecom, Shipping, and Aviation, with a view to ensuring holistic planning and execution of infrastructure projects. Aim: PM Gati Shakti aims to institutionalize holistic planning for major infrastructure projects. The projects …

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Tight Oil : Shale and its potential in India – UPSC GS3

What is Shale Oil? It is also known as Tight Oil. Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments. Its extraction requires the creation of fractures in oil and gas rich shale to release hydrocarbons through a process called hydraulic fracking. What are the challenges in Shale Oil Exploration? Environmental concerns around massive …

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India can manage without Coal – UPSC GS3

Context: In the backdrop of COP26, India’s dependence on coal has remained a much talked about issue. Fossil fuel sources like coal have contributed significantly to global carbon emissions. But, neither India’s historical nor its current emissions come anywhere near to those by developed countries. And as India needs energy for development, some experts have …

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Using Gati Shakti Plan for Bilateral Relations – UPSC GS3

Summary: Gati Shakti Plan can generate positive spill over effects, strengthen India’s economic ties with its neighbours. What will be the impact of Gati Shakti on India’s foreign relations? With the focus on infrastructure and to boost the last-mile connectivity, it will help India to deepen its economic relations with neighbouring countries as well as countries from …

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Time and Cost Overruns in Infrastructure Projects – UPSC GS3

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has released a report that shows the cost overruns and time overruns for various projects. Cost overrun: It is an unexpected change in the project budget that ends up increasing the total project cost. Time overrun: It can be defined as a condition where a project does not complete within the …

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Need to amend Energy Conservation Act, 2001 – UPSC GS3

Background: The Ministry of Power has proposed amendments to the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 with an aim to achieve higher levels of penetration of Renewable energy. What are the amendments proposed to the Energy Conservation Act, 2001? Define the minimum share of renewable energy in the overall consumption by the industrial units or any establishment. Provision to …

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Need of a Ministry of Energy – UPSC GS3

Summary: The current energy value chain works in silos. India needs an integrated Energy authority. Background: The recent coal shortage shows flaws in the entire energy production chain. There is no public body at the government level with executive oversight, responsibility, and accountability for the entire energy value chain. What are the challenges leading to the …

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Why small hydro projects are beneficial? – UPSC GS3

Hydropower In India Hydropower is a renewable and non-polluting source of energy. In India, the western Himalayan states of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh are rich in hydropower potential as they have numerous glaciers and rivers. India has a viable hydropower potential, which is estimated to be about 84,000 megawatts at a 60 …

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