Which ministry is the nodal ministry for implementing the National Policy on Geothermal Energy?
- A.Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
- B.Ministry of Earth Sciences
- C.Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- D.Ministry of Power
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The backgrounder states that the Government notified the National Policy on Geothermal Energy in September 2025 and that this ministry is the nodal ministry for its implementation. The same ministry runs the Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development Programme and sanctioned five research and development projects between July and August 2025 covering resource assessment, indigenous technology development and field demonstration. Option A, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, is tempting because the first wells were commissioned by the ONGC Energy Centre and because the policy allows abandoned oil and gas wells to be repurposed, but the nodal role is not with it. Option B, the Ministry of Earth Sciences, deals with the earth system sciences and is a natural but wrong guess for anything involving the Earth's interior. Option D, the Ministry of Power, handles conventional electricity and is not named here. Geothermal energy is treated as a renewable source, and the ministry follows from that.
Read the full article: Geothermal Energy: India's First Two Wells at Puga Valley, Ladakh
Practice Questions
Where were India's first two geothermal wells commissioned?
- A.Tattapani, Chhattisgarh
- B.Puga Valley, Ladakh
- C.Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh
- D.Ankleshwar, Gujarat
Show answer
The backgrounder records that the ONGC Energy Centre commissioned the country's first two geothermal wells there in July 2026. The valley lies at over 14,000 feet above sea level, is known for its hot springs and underground heat reserves, and is among India's most promising geothermal sites.
Read the full explanation →How many hot springs has the Geological Survey of India mapped in the country?
- A.183
- B.381
- C.420
- D.106
Show answer
The backgrounder states that the Geological Survey of India has mapped 381 hot springs and identified 10 geothermal provinces across the country, and that India's theoretical geothermal prospect stands at nearly 10.6 GW, of which 42 sites have been recognised as promising for power generation and direct heat use.
Read the full explanation →Since ethanol supply year 2014-15, how much foreign exchange has the ethanol blending programme saved?
- A.More than Rs 62,000 crore
- B.More than Rs 1.01 lakh crore
- C.More than Rs 1.66 lakh crore
- D.More than Rs 1.97 lakh crore
Show answer
The ministry listed four cumulative outcomes of the blending programme since ethanol supply year 2014-15: foreign exchange savings above that amount, substitution of about 316 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, avoidance of about 952 lakh metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, and transfers of more than Rs 1.66 lakh crore…
Read the full explanation →What ethanol content was recorded on average in the samples tested in Karnataka?
- A.19.30 per cent
- B.21.50 per cent
- C.26 per cent
- D.31 per cent
Show answer
All 56 samples tested in Karnataka, taken from different locations and from all three oil marketing companies, conformed to the prescribed specification, with ethanol content ranging between 19 and 20 per cent and averaging that figure.
Read the full explanation →Which Bureau of Indian Standards specification applies to ethanol-blended motor gasoline?
- A.IS 1460
- B.IS 2796
- C.IS 17021
- D.IS 15607
Show answer
This is the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline, and E20 petrol supplied by the three public sector oil marketing companies across the country is required to conform to it.
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