- Why in news
- On 7 January 2026, CSIR-CRRI and CSIR-IIP transferred the Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis technology to industry at an event in New Delhi, addressed by Dr Jitendra Singh.
- What it is
- Bio-bitumen is a bio-binder made by pyrolysis of farm residue such as rice straw. Pyrolysis heats biomass without oxygen, giving bio-oil, gas and char. The bio-oil is blended with conventional bitumen for road surfacing.
- Developers
- Developed jointly by CSIR-CRRI, New Delhi, and CSIR-IIP, Dehradun.
- Process
- Rice straw is collected, pelletised, and pyrolysed to bio-oil, which is blended with conventional bitumen.
- Replacement level
- Laboratory validation shows 20–30% of conventional bitumen can be replaced without loss of performance.
- Field trial
- A 100-metre trial stretch was laid on the Jorabat–Shillong Expressway (NH-40) in Meghalaya.
- Import dependence
- India imports nearly 50% of its bitumen requirement.
- Pyrolysis concept
- Pyrolysis is thermal decomposition of organic material at high temperature in the absence of oxygen.
Don’t confuse with Bio-bitumen vs waste-plastic roads: Bio-bitumen replaces part of the bitumen binder with bio-oil from farm residue. Plastic roads mix shredded waste plastic into the bitumen or aggregate.
Don’t confuse with CSIR-CRRI vs CSIR-IIP: CRRI (New Delhi) works on road and transport research. IIP (Dehradun) works on petroleum and fuels.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Uses paddy straw, giving farmers an alternative to stubble burning and cutting air pollution.
- Can reduce imports of bitumen worth ₹25,000–30,000 crore a year, supporting self-reliance.
Problems
- Reliable, year-round collection and storage of rice straw at scale is hard.
- The technology must be built into national highway standards and tested over long periods; only a 100-metre trial has been laid.
Way forward
- Include bio-bitumen blending in road standards and policy, as CSIR has proposed, after longer field trials.
- Build local straw supply chains with farmer incentives.
Put in your answer
Import saving: Replacing imported bitumen could be worth ₹25,000–30,000 crore annually.
Trial stretch: A 100-metre trial on NH-40 in Meghalaya showed field-level feasibility.
- 2019Mains GS3 · Q16How biotechnology can improve living standards of farmers
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- 2019Prelims Q26Context of pyrolysis and plasma gasification: waste-to-energy technologies, among options
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis technology, transferred to industry in January 2026, was developed jointly by CSIR-CRRI, New Delhi, and CSIR-IIP, Dehradun.
- 2.India imports nearly half of its bitumen requirement.
- 3.Pyrolysis is the heating of biomass in the presence of excess oxygen so that it burns completely.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The bio-bitumen technology was developed jointly by CSIR-CRRI and CSIR-IIP.
True. CSIR-CRRI (New Delhi) and CSIR-IIP (Dehradun) developed it.
2.The process uses pyrolysis of post-harvest rice straw to produce bio-oil that is blended with conventional bitumen.
True. Rice straw is pelletised, pyrolysed to bio-oil and blended with bitumen.
3.Pyrolysis is the heating of biomass in the presence of excess oxygen to burn it completely.
False. Pyrolysis is thermal decomposition in the absence (or near absence) of oxygen.
4.Laboratory validation showed that up to 20–30% of conventional bitumen can be replaced by bio-bitumen without compromising performance.
True. 20–30% replacement was validated.
5.The field trial stretch of bio-bitumen was laid on a national highway in Punjab, where stubble burning is most common.
False. The 100-metre trial was on the Jorabat–Shillong Expressway (NH-40) in Meghalaya.
6.India imports nearly 50% of its bitumen requirement.
True. About half of India's bitumen is imported.
7.Pyrolysis of biomass yields only a liquid binder and no other usable products.
False. It also yields gaseous fuel, bio-pesticide fractions and high-grade carbon.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.