UPSC Mains 2013 · GS I · Q25 · 10 marks · 200 words

It is said that India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the needs of the country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resource does not appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues involved.

हिन्दी में

यह कहा जाता है कि भारत में देश की 25 वर्ष की आवश्यकता-पूर्ति के लिए शिला-तेल और गैस का पर्याप्त भण्डार है। तथापि, कार्यसूची में सम्पत्ति की निकासी उच्च स्थान पर नज़र नहीं आती। इसकी प्राप्यता तथा आवेष्टित समस्याओं की समालोचनात्मक विवेचना कीजिए।

Natural Resources

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “What are the factors contributing to the decline in crude oil production in India, and what suggestions can be proposed to reverse this trend and promote domestic production?”

Gyanendra BhartiAIR 537 · CSE 2023 · 195 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

India is a net energy importer country & needs to upscale it's domestic production to reduce dependence on import.

Reason for declining domestic production:

Body · points

  1. Limited mineral oil resources than rising demand.

  2. Ageing oil wells & no new discoveries of oil fields.

  3. Financial & technical constraints on the part of oil companies.

  4. Russian cheap oil import hindered incentive to invest in new discoveries of oilfield.

  5. Domination of state owned companies in production & exploration.

  6. Limitation due to presence of these reserve in off shore area, tribal areas etc.

  7. Focus on decarbonising economy & push for net zero may render investment of companies worth-less.

Suggestion

  1. Opening the sector for more private participation. Eg. New HELP guidelines.

  2. Capacity building of state owned companies.

  3. Promote conducive environment for private sector through Ease of Doing (EoDB) reforms.

  4. International collaboration for technology & fund. Eg. Reliance-Aramco collaboration. (However, it was not materialised)

  5. Focusing on Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to store enhances production.

  6. More impetus to ethanol blending through National Biofuel policy.

Close · a summary

India being developing country needs to enhance energy self sufficiency for both economic security & strategic autonomy.

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2013, General Studies Paper I, Q25. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.