UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Consultations on for offshore wind tenders in TN: official

Q1. The administration of the Offshore Wind Energy Lease Rules, which regulate the grant of leases of offshore areas for wind energy projects, is vested in which one of the following?

  • A. The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
  • B. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India
  • C. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India
  • D. The Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India

Q2. The Offshore Wind Energy Lease Rules, which govern the leasing of offshore areas within India's Exclusive Economic Zone for wind energy development, were notified in:

  • A. June 2015, alongside the framework policy for the sector
  • B. December 2023, ahead of the first seabed lease auction
  • C. February 2024, along with the bid invitation off Tamil Nadu
  • D. September 2024, along with the bid invitation off Gujarat

Q3. LiDAR-based measurement campaigns for offshore wind resource assessment at the identified zones off the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts have been carried out by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai
  • B. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad
  • C. National Centre for Coastal Research, Chennai
  • D. National Institute of Wind Energy, Chennai

Q4. The basic framework for the development of India's offshore wind energy sector was first laid down by which one of the following?

  • A. The Offshore Wind Energy Lease Rules, 2023
  • B. The National Offshore Wind Energy Policy, 2015
  • C. The National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, 2018
  • D. The Viability Gap Funding Scheme for Offshore Wind Energy Projects

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding India's offshore wind energy targets and enabling infrastructure: 1. The medium-term target declared by the Government for offshore wind capacity addition was 5 GW by 2022, against a long-term target of 30 GW by 2030. 2. The Viability Gap Funding scheme for offshore wind covers 1 GW of capacity, split equally between the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts. 3. Planning for the initial phase of offshore transmission capacity covers 10 GW in all, comprising 5 GW each off the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts, with the evacuation infrastructure to be built by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The medium-term target declared by the Government for offshore wind capacity addition was 5 GW by 2022, against a long-term target of 30 GW by 2030.
  2. The Viability Gap Funding scheme for offshore wind covers 1 GW of capacity, split equally between the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts.
  3. Planning for the initial phase of offshore transmission capacity covers 10 GW in all, comprising 5 GW each off the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts, with the evacuation infrastructure to be built by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. The Union Cabinet approved the Viability Gap Funding scheme for the implementation of offshore wind energy projects with a total outlay of:

  • A. Rs 6,853 crore
  • B. Rs 7,453 crore
  • C. Rs 4,50,000 crore
  • D. Rs 600 crore

Q7. In the context of the offshore wind energy projects scheme, 'viability gap funding' is best described as:

  • A. Government support meeting part of the project's capital cost, so that the cost of power falls to a level at which DISCOMs find it viable to purchase
  • B. An incentive disbursed to the developer for every unit of electricity generated over the life of the power purchase agreement
  • C. An interest subvention borne by the Government on the debt raised by the developer from scheduled commercial banks
  • D. A guarantee under which the Government pays the developer the difference whenever the market clearing price falls below a floor tariff

Q8. Consider the following statements regarding the recent course correction in India's offshore wind tendering: 1. In August 2025, the Solar Energy Corporation of India cancelled offshore wind tenders totalling 4.5 GW, comprising a seabed lease auction off the Tamil Nadu coast and an ISTS-connected project off the Gujarat coast. 2. For the next round of offshore wind projects, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has indicated that support will take the form of capital expenditure assistance rather than a production-linked incentive. 3. Feasibility studies off the Tamil Nadu coast have established a capacity utilisation factor above 50 per cent, a level uniformly attained across every one of the identified offshore zones off both Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. In August 2025, the Solar Energy Corporation of India cancelled offshore wind tenders totalling 4.5 GW, comprising a seabed lease auction off the Tamil Nadu coast and an ISTS-connected project off the Gujarat coast.
  2. For the next round of offshore wind projects, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has indicated that support will take the form of capital expenditure assistance rather than a production-linked incentive.
  3. Feasibility studies off the Tamil Nadu coast have established a capacity utilisation factor above 50 per cent, a level uniformly attained across every one of the identified offshore zones off both Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. Under the first offshore wind tender floated for the Tamil Nadu coast through international competitive bidding, what exactly was the successful bidder to obtain?

  • A. A twenty-five year power purchase agreement with the bid-issuing agency at a tariff discovered through reverse competitive bidding
  • B. A generation-based incentive payable on every unit of electricity exported to the inter-State transmission system
  • C. Lease rights over a demarcated seabed block of 1 GW, with the electricity generated to be sold directly to consumers under the open access regime
  • D. A viability gap funding grant released in tranches against commissioning milestones achieved on the allotted block

Q10. As per meso-scale assessment of India's offshore wind resource, the largest identified offshore wind energy potential lies off the coast of which one of the following States?

  • A. Tamil Nadu, with a potential of about 35 GW
  • B. Maharashtra, with a potential of about 30 GW
  • C. Andhra Pradesh, with a potential of about 33 GW
  • D. Gujarat, with a potential of about 36 GW