UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Can biogas aid India’s energy security?

Q1. With reference to the SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) initiative, consider the following: Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It was launched in October 2018 by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
  2. It envisaged the setting up of 5,000 Compressed Bio-Gas plants producing 15 MMT of CBG per annum by 2023-24.
  3. India's Compressed Bio-Gas production potential under the initiative was estimated at about 62 million tonnes per annum.
  4. Expressions of Interest for CBG procurement under the initiative are invited by NITI Aayog on behalf of state governments.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 3 and 4

Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the SATAT initiative with the CBG Blending Obligation (CBO): Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. SATAT relies on assured off-take through Letters of Intent issued by public sector Oil Marketing Companies, whereas the CBO places a mandatory blending requirement on City Gas Distribution entities.
  2. SATAT's target of 5,000 CBG plants by 2023-24 was not achieved; just over 130 CBG plants stood commissioned as on 1 November 2025.
  3. Unlike SATAT, the CBG Blending Obligation was voluntary only till FY 2023-24 and became mandatory from FY 2024-25.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. The term 'CBG Blending Obligation (CBO)', as used in India's gas sector policy, refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The minimum share of Compressed Bio-Gas that must be blended into CNG (Transport) and PNG (Domestic) supplied by City Gas Distribution entities, expressed as a percentage of their total CNG/PNG consumption
  • B. The minimum share of Compressed Bio-Gas that must be blended into domestic LPG cylinders supplied under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
  • C. The obligation on CBG producers to sell a prescribed minimum share of their output to public sector Oil Marketing Companies at a notified price
  • D. The share of biogas that must be maintained in India's total primary energy mix in a given financial year

Q4. With reference to the CBG Blending Obligation, consider the following: Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The obligation is mandatory from FY 2025-26, having been voluntary till FY 2024-25.
  2. Monitoring and implementation of the blending mandate is entrusted to a Central Repository Body.
  3. The obligation rises to 5% of total CNG/PNG consumption from FY 2028-29 onwards.
  4. It was announced by the National Biofuels Coordination Committee chaired by the Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy.
  • A. 1 and 4
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q5. The Unified Registration Portal for GOBARdhan, which registers biogas/CBG plants across the country, was introduced by which one of the following as the lead department?

  • A. Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti
  • B. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • C. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • D. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Q6. As per the Government's year-end position for 2025, how many community biogas plants were functional under GOBARdhan?

  • A. More than 250
  • B. More than 500
  • C. More than 970
  • D. More than 2,500

Q7. Under the Union Budget 2026-27 proposal on biogas-blended CNG, what portion of the value of the biogas component is excluded while computing the Central Excise duty payable?

  • A. 25 per cent of the value of the biogas
  • B. 50 per cent of the value of the biogas
  • C. 75 per cent of the value of the biogas
  • D. The entire value of the biogas

Q8. The 'cascading of taxes' problem that the Union Budget 2026-27 sought to remove in the case of biogas-blended CNG refers to which one of the following?

  • A. Central Excise duty being levied on the biogas component of the blend even though duty had already been borne at that stage, thereby taxing the same value twice in the blended fuel
  • B. Levy of both Goods and Services Tax and Central Excise duty on every litre of CNG sold through City Gas Distribution networks
  • C. Imposition of customs duty on imported LNG in addition to excise duty on the CNG produced from it
  • D. Simultaneous levy of state VAT and central excise duty on all compressed natural gas sold for transport use

Q9. According to the Government's 2026 statements on energy security, about 90 per cent of India's LPG imports transit through which one of the following maritime chokepoints?

  • A. Strait of Malacca
  • B. Strait of Hormuz
  • C. Bab-el-Mandeb
  • D. Suez Canal

Q10. Raw biogas is purified and compressed to obtain Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG). What is the methane content of CBG as specified by the Government?

  • A. About 55 to 60 per cent
  • B. About 70 to 75 per cent
  • C. About 80 to 85 per cent
  • D. Over 95 per cent

Q11. The CBG-CGD Synchronisation Scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which strengthens the linkage between CBG production and consumption, was extended for a period of how many years?

  • A. 3 years
  • B. 5 years
  • C. 10 years
  • D. 15 years

Q12. Financial assistance for the procurement of biomass aggregation machinery by Compressed Bio-Gas producers, and for pipeline connectivity of CBG plants to the City Gas Distribution network, is administered under the authority of which one of the following?

  • A. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • B. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • C. Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti
  • D. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare