Question 1

India will start reducing coal consumption immediately to meet its Net Zero goals.

Accepted Answer

Coal consumption will actually rise until 2047 to support industrial growth and baseline power needs before a steep decline begins.

Question 2

The $22.7 trillion investment required for Net Zero can be entirely funded domestically through standard annual budgets.

Accepted Answer

There is an estimated $6.5 trillion financing gap that relies heavily on external sources, cheaper international finance, and global capital integration.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the 'Viksit Bharat and Net Zero Scenario' reports released by NITI Aayog:
1. The report projects India's coal consumption to peak and begin declining by 2030 to align with the Panchamrit targets.
2. The transition to Net Zero by 2070 is estimated to require an unprecedented cumulative investment of $22.7 trillion.
3. The report recommends establishing a National Green Finance Institution to address the projected financing gap.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is incorrect because the report projects that coal consumption will continue to rise until 2047 to meet developmental base-load needs before phasing down. Statements 2 and 3 are correct factual projections and recommendations directly from the NITI Aayog 11-volume study.

Question 4

Match the specific metrics projected in the NITI Aayog Viksit Bharat and Net Zero Scenario reports (List I) with their corresponding values (List II).

List I
A. Net Zero target year
B. Estimated total cumulative investment required
C. Projected financing gap
D. Year until which coal consumption is expected to rise

List II
1. 2047
2. 2070
3. $6.5 trillion
4. $22.7 trillion

Accepted Answer

(a) A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1 — A is 2070 (India's sovereign COP26 commitment). B is $22.7 trillion (total estimated capital requirement identified by NITI Aayog). C is $6.5 trillion (the gap requiring external financing). D is 2047 (the year coal is projected to rise until, mirroring the Viksit Bharat timeline).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The NITI Aayog explicitly modeled that India's coal power generation capacity and consumption will increase in the medium term up to 2047.
Reason (R): Developed nations have mandated India under the Paris Agreement to delay its coal phase-out to ensure global energy market stability.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

(c) A is true but R is false — Assertion (A) is true as the report clearly outlines coal use rising till 2047 to support the Viksit Bharat agenda and baseline energy demands. Reason (R) is false because this trajectory is India's sovereign developmental choice based on the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), not a mandate from developed nations (who actually pressure developing nations for an earlier, more aggressive phase-out).

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