Power Resources — Set 3

Correct Answer: A. Air pollution and CO2 emissions

• **Air pollution and CO2 emissions** = the primary environmental concern from coal burning for power; coal releases CO2, SO2, and particulate matter. • **Climate impact** — coal is the single largest contributor to global warming; transitioning away from coal is a central climate goal under international agreements. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Water scarcity: caused by overuse and drought, not directly by coal burning; Ozone depletion: caused by CFCs from refrigerants and aerosols, not coal smoke; Soil alkalinity: caused by excessive irrigation and fertilizer use, not coal burning.

Correct Answer: B. Karnataka

• **Karnataka** = the state where Kaiga Generating Station (nuclear power plant) is located, specifically in Uttar Kannada district. • **NPCIL** — Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. operates all nuclear power plants in India including Kaiga; it supplies power to the southern grid. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Tamil Nadu: has Kudankulam and Kalpakkam nuclear plants, not Kaiga; Gujarat: has Kakrapar nuclear plant, not Kaiga; Rajasthan: has Rawatbhata (RAPS) nuclear plant, not Kaiga.

Correct Answer: C. High economic value

• **High economic value** = the reason petroleum is called Black Gold; it is indispensable for transport fuel and industrial raw material. • **Multiple industrial uses** — petroleum derivatives make plastics, fertilizers, medicines, and synthetic fabrics; global markets are heavily influenced by oil price changes. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Black color: petroleum is dark but the name reflects value, not just color; Abundance: petroleum is actually scarce and finite; Chemical properties: while unique, the Black Gold nickname specifically refers to its extraordinary economic importance.

Correct Answer: B. Gujarat

• **Gujarat** = India's highest-potential state for tidal energy, with the Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat offering India's best tidal ranges. • **Tidal mechanics** — tides funnel through narrow gulfs creating high flow velocity that can drive turbines; despite high potential, tidal plants are expensive to build. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Odisha: has coastline but no large gulfs with high tidal range; Kerala: known for backwaters, tidal range is low; West Bengal: Sundarbans coast has tidal activity but less concentrated tidal energy than Gujarat's gulfs.

Correct Answer: B. Fossil fuels like coal

• **Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)** = the energy source for thermal power; burning these creates steam to drive turbines connected to generators. • **Largest electricity source in India** — thermal power accounts for over 55% of India's electricity generation; it is non-renewable and carbon-intensive. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Falling water: that generates hydroelectric power, not thermal; Wind turbines: generate wind power, not thermal; Uranium rods: that is nuclear power, a distinct process from thermal.

Correct Answer: C. Thorium

• **Thorium** = the nuclear mineral found in Kerala's monazite sands; India holds nearly 25% of global thorium reserves. • **Three-stage nuclear programme** — India's plan to eventually use thorium as primary fuel; research at BARC is ongoing to make thorium-based reactors viable. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Plutonium: a man-made element produced inside reactors, not mined from monazite; Uranium: found in Jharkhand and Rajasthan, not primarily in monazite sands of Kerala; Graphite: used as moderator in reactors, not a nuclear fuel mineral found in monazite.

Correct Answer: D. Darjeeling

• **Darjeeling (Sidrapong)** = site of India's first small hydroelectric plant, commissioned in 1897 to power the Darjeeling town. • **1897** — year the Sidrapong hydro plant started; a larger plant followed at Sivasamudram, Karnataka in 1902 to supply power to Kolar Gold Fields. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sivasamudram: second large hydro plant (1902), not the first; Mettur: major dam in Tamil Nadu, built 1934, much later; Shimsha: a river in Karnataka, later developed for hydro, not the first station.

Correct Answer: D. Pollutants

• **Pollutants** = what CNG has in low levels compared to petrol or diesel; it emits far less CO, NOx, and particulate matter. • **Urban air quality** — many Indian cities mandated CNG for public transport after Supreme Court orders; CNG is stored at 200 bar pressure. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Methane: CNG is mostly methane, so methane content is high, not low; Carbon: CNG contains carbon (it's a hydrocarbon), not the reason it's eco-friendly; Oxygen: all fuels require oxygen for combustion, this is not what differentiates CNG.

Correct Answer: D. MNRE

• **MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy)** = the Indian government body responsible for promoting wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. • **NIWE** — National Institute of Wind Energy, headquartered in Chennai, assists MNRE with wind resource assessment and R&D. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: ONGC: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, handles fossil fuel exploration not renewables; CERC: Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, a regulatory body, not a development agency; NITI Aayog: policy think-tank, not an implementing agency for wind energy.

Correct Answer: A. Reduction in firewood use

• **Reduction in firewood use** = the primary rural benefit of biogas; it reduces deforestation caused by collecting firewood for cooking. • **Health benefit** — biogas provides smoke-free cooking, reducing indoor air pollution and related respiratory diseases for rural women and children. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Higher cost efficiency: biogas plants have upfront cost and require regular inputs, not straightforwardly cheaper; Ease of transport: biogas is piped locally, not easy to transport in bulk like LPG; No requirement for water: biogas digesters actually require water in the slurry mix.