UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s Power Transmission Network Crosses 5 Lakh Circuit Km

Q1. The achievement of India's transmission network crossing 5 lakh ckm, and the planning and development of the inter-State transmission system, fall under the administrative purview of which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Power
  • B. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • C. Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • D. Ministry of Coal

Q2. The 765 kV Bhadla II–Sikar II inter-State line, whose commissioning took the network past 5 lakh ckm, was developed and commissioned by which one of the following in its role as the Central Transmission Utility?

  • A. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (POWERGRID)
  • B. NTPC Ltd
  • C. Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd
  • D. Grid Controller of India Ltd (Grid-India)

Q3. The functions and duties of the Central Electricity Authority, including formulation of the perspective transmission plan, are laid down under which one of the following sections of the Electricity Act, 2003?

  • A. Section 73
  • B. Section 79
  • C. Section 63
  • D. Section 38

Q4. Which one of the following organisations is entrusted with the integrated, real-time operation of India's national grid — the world's largest synchronous grid — as its apex system operator?

  • A. Grid Controller of India Ltd (Grid-India), formerly POSOCO
  • B. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (POWERGRID)
  • C. Central Electricity Authority
  • D. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission

Q5. In the context of India's national grid, the expression 'One Nation–One Grid–One Frequency' most precisely denotes which one of the following?

  • A. All regional grids are interconnected and operated as a single system at a common frequency
  • B. A single uniform retail electricity tariff applies to consumers across all States
  • C. All transmission assets in the country are owned by one central company
  • D. Every State draws an identical share of power from the national grid

Q6. The nationwide supervision, scheduling and control of inter-regional power flows over the national grid is carried out by which one of the following apex bodies?

  • A. National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC)
  • B. the five Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDCs)
  • C. State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs)
  • D. Central Electricity Authority

Q7. The Ministry of Power's figure of 71.6% growth in India's transmission network (220 kV and above) is measured with reference to which one of the following base periods?

  • A. April 2014
  • B. 2003, the year the Electricity Act was enacted
  • C. December 2013, when One Nation–One Grid–One Frequency was achieved
  • D. April 2017

Q8. India's grid is often described as the 'world's largest synchronous grid'. In this context the term 'synchronous grid' most precisely means which one of the following?

  • A. A grid in which all interconnected AC generators operate at the same frequency and in a fixed phase relationship (in step)
  • B. The grid with the largest installed generation capacity in the world
  • C. The grid extending over the largest geographical area in the world
  • D. A grid in which generation exactly equals demand at every instant