UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India can cut steel emissions before coal plants lock them in
Q1. Consider the following statements comparing India's Green Steel Taxonomy with other instruments governing steel-sector emissions:
1. Unlike the report 'Greening the Steel Sector in India: Roadmap and Action Plan' released earlier in 2024, the Taxonomy prescribes a star-rating system linked to bands of emission intensity.
2. Whereas the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme works on greenhouse gas emission intensity norms, the Taxonomy's emission accounting is confined to Scope 1 emissions of the steel plant alone.
3. The threshold limits used for star rating under the Taxonomy are to be reviewed every three years, whereas the crude steel capacity target of the National Steel Policy is fixed for 2030-31.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike the report 'Greening the Steel Sector in India: Roadmap and Action Plan' released earlier in 2024, the Taxonomy prescribes a star-rating system linked to bands of emission intensity.
- Whereas the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme works on greenhouse gas emission intensity norms, the Taxonomy's emission accounting is confined to Scope 1 emissions of the steel plant alone.
- The threshold limits used for star rating under the Taxonomy are to be reviewed every three years, whereas the crude steel capacity target of the National Steel Policy is fixed for 2030-31.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. Under India's Green Steel Taxonomy, which one of the following has been designated as the nodal agency for measurement, reporting and verification and for issuing greenness certificates and star ratings to steel plants?
- A. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, a statutory body functioning under the Ministry of Power
- B. Grid Controller of India Limited, a government company functioning under the Ministry of Power
- C. The National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology, functioning under the Ministry of Steel
- D. The Steel Authority of India Limited, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Steel
Q3. The scheme guidelines for implementation of pilot projects for the use of green hydrogen in the steel sector, issued in February 2024, were released by which one of the following?
- A. The Ministry of Steel, under the Greening the Steel Sector Roadmap and Action Plan
- B. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, under the National Green Hydrogen Mission
- C. The Ministry of Power, under the framework of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme
- D. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, under the climate action plan
Q4. Within the total outlay approved for the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the single largest share has been earmarked for which one of the following?
- A. Pilot projects in sectors such as steel, shipping and mobility
- B. Research and development under the Mission's innovation component
- C. Skilling, awareness and the other residual components of the Mission
- D. Incentives under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition programme
Q5. India's crude steel production in FY 2025-26 was closest to which one of the following figures?
- A. About 148 million tonnes
- B. About 168 million tonnes
- C. About 188 million tonnes
- D. About 208 million tonnes
Q6. In the National Steel Policy, 2017, the figure of 300 million tonnes projected for 2030-31 denotes which one of the following?
- A. The volume of crude steel actually to be produced in that year
- B. The volume of finished steel to be produced by domestic mills
- C. The installed crude steel making capacity to be created in the country
- D. The domestic consumption of finished steel expected in that year
Q7. Consider the following statements regarding decarbonisation levers and instruments for India's steel sector:
1. Under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, obligated entities in the iron and steel sector must meet prescribed greenhouse gas emission intensity reduction norms rather than absolute emission caps.
2. Use of biochar in the steel industry is among the decarbonisation levers identified for the Indian steel sector.
3. Under the Green Steel Taxonomy, only those plants that deploy carbon capture technology can obtain a five-star green rating.
4. Substitution of fossil fuels with green hydrogen and injection of hydrogen into blast furnaces are both thrust areas of the steel-sector pilot projects under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- Under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, obligated entities in the iron and steel sector must meet prescribed greenhouse gas emission intensity reduction norms rather than absolute emission caps.
- Use of biochar in the steel industry is among the decarbonisation levers identified for the Indian steel sector.
- Under the Green Steel Taxonomy, only those plants that deploy carbon capture technology can obtain a five-star green rating.
- Substitution of fossil fuels with green hydrogen and injection of hydrogen into blast furnaces are both thrust areas of the steel-sector pilot projects under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 3 only
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 2 and 3
Q8. The report 'Greening the Steel Sector in India: Roadmap and Action Plan', released in September 2024, was drawn up on the basis of the recommendations of which one of the following?
- A. A single expert committee of NITI Aayog whose recommendations are binding on all steel plants
- B. The National Steering Committee of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, which alone frames sectoral roadmaps
- C. Fourteen Task Forces of ministries, industry and technology providers set up by the Ministry of Steel
- D. A standing committee of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency that exclusively represents primary steel producers
Q9. In the proposed Rs 5,000 crore scheme of the Ministry of Steel to accelerate decarbonisation of the steel sector, the largest share of the outlay is intended for which one of the following categories of producers?
- A. Integrated primary producers alone, blast-furnace plants being the only eligible units
- B. Public sector steel undertakings exclusively, all private producers being kept outside it
- C. Sponge iron units of the eastern states only, to the exclusion of every other region
- D. Secondary steel producers, who account for nearly half of the country's steel output
Q10. Consider the following statements about the greenhouse gas footprint of India's steel sector:
1. The sector accounts for about 12 per cent of India's total greenhouse gas emissions.
2. The carbon dioxide emission intensity of Indian steelmaking is about 2.55 tonnes per tonne of crude steel.
3. The corresponding global average emission intensity is about 1.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of crude steel.
4. India's share in world crude steel production in 2024 was about 12 per cent.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The sector accounts for about 12 per cent of India's total greenhouse gas emissions.
- The carbon dioxide emission intensity of Indian steelmaking is about 2.55 tonnes per tonne of crude steel.
- The corresponding global average emission intensity is about 1.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of crude steel.
- India's share in world crude steel production in 2024 was about 12 per cent.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 3 and 4