Coal Gasification Scheme: ₹37,500 Crore Outlay, NTPC Applies

The correct answer is ₹37,500 crore. The Ministry of Coal states that the Union Cabinet approved the scheme on 13 May 2026 with that total financial outlay, and the same figure appears at the start of the clarification issued about press reports on the scheme. Options A, C and D are round or near figures of the kind used to build distractors in scheme questions, and none of them is supported by the release. Two related numbers should not be confused with the outlay. The first is the expected investment the scheme is meant to catalyse, which is about ₹2.5 lakh crore to ₹3 lakh crore across nearly 25 projects. The second is the expected employment of around 50,000 direct and indirect jobs. The outlay is what the Government commits, while the investment figure is what industry is expected to bring in. Keep the purpose in mind as well: converting domestic coal and lignite into syngas, methanol, ammonia and urea, so that dependence on imported feedstock falls.

The correct answer is Talcher Fertilisers Limited and NTPC Limited. The Ministry said it had been informed that both companies had already submitted their applications through the online portal, and it used this fact to reject the claim that the scheme had received no takers. The other options list well-known public sector companies in coal, gas, lignite, refining and steel, all of which a candidate might reasonably associate with a coal gasification programme, and that is exactly why they appear as distractors. Note the wider context for the examination: the first-round deadline was 7 September 2026, and the Ministry pointed out that the number of applications could not be judged while the window was still open. The scheme also uses rolling rounds, so the next round opens the day after a round closes and stays open for two months, which means more applicants can come in later without being shut out.

The correct answer is 100 million tonnes. The release says the scheme will contribute significantly to the Government's broader objective of achieving 100 million tonnes of coal gasification capacity by 2030, which makes the pair of numbers, 100 million tonnes and the year 2030, one of the most likely items to be asked from this story. Options A, B and D are plausible-looking alternatives but find no support in the release. While revising, keep this national target separate from the three other figures attached to the scheme: the outlay of ₹37,500 crore approved by the Union Cabinet on 13 May 2026, the expected investment of about ₹2.5 lakh crore to ₹3 lakh crore across nearly 25 projects, and the expected employment of around 50,000 direct and indirect jobs. Also remember the output side of gasification, namely syngas, methanol, ammonia and urea, since a question can equally be framed on what coal is converted into rather than on the numbers.