UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — How district cooling can ease India’s climate and urban planning troubles

Q1. Which of the following is the nodal Union Ministry for the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) and also co-chairs the UN Environment-led District Energy in Cities Initiative?

  • A. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Power
  • C. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • D. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Q2. In which year was the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), the world's first such national plan, released by the Government of India?

  • A. 2017
  • B. 2018
  • C. 2019
  • D. 2022

Q3. As per the UN Environment-led District Energy in Cities Initiative, how many Indian cities have been designated as pilot cities to demonstrate district cooling?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q4. In the context of urban energy infrastructure, the term 'District Cooling System' (DCS) most accurately refers to:

  • A. A network of rooftop solar-powered air-conditioners installed building-wise across a city ward
  • B. A centralised plant that produces chilled water and distributes it through insulated underground pipes to multiple buildings, which consume cooling as a service
  • C. A municipal subsidy programme that supplies 5-star rated split ACs to low-income households at a uniform tariff
  • D. A passive cooling technique that exclusively uses earth-air tunnels and green roofs in a contiguous urban district