UPSC Prelims 2001 Q38: Indian Economy – Infrastructure & Industry
Consider the following statements regarding power sector in India:
I. The installed capacity of power generation is around 95000 MW.
II. Nuclear plants contribute nearly 15% of total power generation.
III. Hydroelectricity plants contribute nearly 40% of total power generation.
IV. Thermal plants at present account for nearly 80% of total power generation.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
- (a) I only
- (b) II and III
- (c) III and IV
- (d) I and IV
Answer: (d) I and IV
Explanation
Statements regarding the power sector in India (2001)
| Statement | Verdict |
|---|---|
| I. Installed capacity is around 95,000 MW | Correct — about 97,000 MW by March 2000 |
| II. Nuclear plants give nearly 15% of generation | Wrong — nuclear gave only about 2-3% |
| III. Hydro plants give nearly 40% of generation | Wrong — hydro gave about 17% of generation (about 25% of capacity) |
| IV. Thermal plants give nearly 80% of generation | Correct — coal, gas and oil gave about 80% |
In 2000-01 India had about 97,000 MW of installed capacity. Thermal power produced about four-fifths of the electricity, hydro about a sixth and nuclear only a few per cent. So statements I and IV are correct.
Answer: (d) I and IV.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement IV on thermal power is also correct.
- (b) Incorrect. Nuclear and hydro shares are far lower than stated.
- (c) Incorrect. Hydro gave nowhere near 40% of generation.
- (d) CORRECT. Capacity of about 95,000 MW and a thermal share of about 80% are right.
Key point
Today installed capacity is over 450 GW; non-fossil sources are now over 45% of capacity, but coal still dominates generation.
Remember
2001: about 97,000 MW; thermal 80%, hydro 17%, nuclear 2-3%.
Common mistakes
- Overrating nuclear power's share.
- Mixing hydro's share of capacity with its share of generation.
- Not checking that the shares in II, III and IV add to more than 100%.
Exam tip
Add up the claimed shares; if they exceed 100%, some must be false.
Sources
- Central Electricity Authority — General Review / All India Electricity Statistics 2000-01
- Ministry of Finance — Economic Survey 2000-01, chapter 'Infrastructure' (power)