UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — As Fukushima memories fade, Japan looking at a nuclear-powered future
Q1. In the context of Japan's nuclear policy, the 'GX Decarbonization Power Supply Act' (enacted May 2023 and in force from June 2025) primarily refers to which one of the following?
- A. A law that allows nuclear reactors to operate beyond the 60-year ceiling by excluding offline periods caused by regulatory reviews or court injunctions from the operational lifetime
- B. A law that mandates the complete phase-out of all coal-fired power stations in Japan by 2030
- C. A law that creates a carbon border adjustment tax on imported electricity-intensive goods
- D. A law that nationalises Tokyo Electric Power Company and merges it with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Q2. Which one of the following is the world's largest nuclear power station by installed capacity, whose Unit 6 was restarted in early 2026, marking the first reactivation at the site since 2011?
- A. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, Niigata Prefecture
- B. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Fukushima Prefecture
- C. Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, Shizuoka Prefecture
- D. Tomari Nuclear Power Station, Hokkaido
Q3. Which one of the following bodies is the independent regulator that clears restart applications for Japan's nuclear reactors and approves the Long-Term Facility Management Plans required for reactors operating beyond 30 years?
- A. Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA)
- B. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
- C. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)
- D. Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE)