Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only.
Passage-1
Energy transition plans must be mindful of geopolitical vulnerabilities and avoid deepening India’s dependence on external sources for critical imports. Strategic thinking is warranted. The two obsessions of the West, the water-power-guzzling AI and energy transition, do not sit well with each other. One has to give. It appears to be the latter because the more the West (Europe, in particular) goes for wind and solar in its energy mix, the greater the coal consumption in China. The link between the two runs as follows: the requirement for critical minerals and rare earths rises with the share of renewable energy in the overall energy consumption. China dominates the production or processing of these materials. Processing requires cheap power. Otherwise, these inputs would be costlier, making energy transition even more expensive for Europe than it already is. Cheap power is possible only with coal-fired thermal plants. So, both are two sides of the same coin. This complex interplay makes one thing clear for India. It has to focus a lot more than it has so far on adaptation than on emission mitigation.

The argument linking Europe's increased share of renewables to greater coal consumption in China rests crucially on the assumption that:
(a) China is the only supplier of all critical minerals and rare earths essential for renewable energy technologies.
(b) The marginal cost of coal-fired power in China is significantly lower than using cleaner energy sources in China.
(c) European nations are contractually obligated to source their processed critical minerals from China.
(d) The energy efficiency of renewable energy technologies is so low that their widespread adoption necessitates an increase in overall global energy production by coal.

Question

Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only.
Passage-1
Energy transition plans must be mindful of geopolitical vulnerabilities and avoid deepening India&rsquo;s dependence on external sources for critical imports. Strategic thinking is warranted. The two obsessions of the West, the water-power-guzzling AI and energy transition, do not sit well with each other. One has to give. It appears to be the latter because the more the West (Europe, in particular) goes for wind and solar in its energy mix, the greater the coal consumption in China. The link between the two runs as follows: the requirement for critical minerals and rare earths rises with the share of renewable energy in the overall energy consumption. China dominates the production or processing of these materials. Processing requires cheap power. Otherwise, these inputs would be costlier, making energy transition even more expensive for Europe than it already is. Cheap power is possible only with coal-fired thermal plants. So, both are two sides of the same coin. This complex interplay makes one thing clear for India. It has to focus a lot more than it has so far on adaptation than on emission mitigation.

The argument linking Europe's increased share of renewables to greater coal consumption in China rests crucially on the assumption that:
(a) China is the only supplier of all critical minerals and rare earths essential for renewable energy technologies.
(b) The marginal cost of coal-fired power in China is significantly lower than using cleaner energy sources in China.
(c) European nations are contractually obligated to source their processed critical minerals from China.
(d) The energy efficiency of renewable energy technologies is so low that their widespread adoption necessitates an increase in overall global energy production by coal.

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement (a) is not correct. The passage states that China "dominates the production or processing," which implies a major, but not necessarily sole (only) supplier of all critical minerals and rare earths essential for renewable energy technologies.

Statement (b) is correct. The passage states that &rdquo;China dominates the production or processing of these materials. Processing requires cheap power. Cheap power is possible only with coal-fired thermal plants.&rdquo; For China's increased coal use to be directly linked to Europe's renewable demand (to keep Europe's costs down), it must be assumed that coal provides a decisive cost advantage in processing these minerals compared to other available energy options, making it the economically rational choice in this supply chain.

Statement (c) is not correct. The passage implies an economic linkage (cheaper inputs make transition less expensive for Europe), not necessarily a contractual obligation for exclusive sourcing from China. The choice is driven by cost.

Statement (d) is not correct. The passage links increased mineral demand to the share of renewables, not their inherent energy inefficiency. The issue is the materials for their production, not their operational efficiency dictating more coal use directly.

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M Question 1	⏱ 0
Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only. Passage-1 Energy transition plans must be mindful of geopolitical vulnerabilities and avoid deepening India’s dependence on external sources for critical imports. Strategic thinking is warranted. The two obsessions of the West, the water-power-guzzling AI and energy transition, do not sit well with each other. One has to give. It appears to be the latter because the more the West (Europe, in particular) goes for wind and solar in its energy mix, the greater the coal consumption in China. The link between the two runs as follows: the requirement for critical minerals and rare earths rises with the share of renewable energy in the overall energy consumption. China dominates the production or processing of these materials. Processing requires cheap power. Otherwise, these inputs would be costlier, making energy transition even more expensive for Europe than it already is. Cheap power is possible only with coal-fired thermal plants. So, both are two sides of the same coin. This complex interplay makes one thing clear for India. It has to focus a lot more than it has so far on adaptation than on emission mitigation. The argument linking Europe's increased share of renewables to greater coal consumption in China rests crucially on the assumption that: (a) China is the only supplier of all critical minerals and rare earths essential for renewable energy technologies. (b) The marginal cost of coal-fired power in China is significantly lower than using cleaner energy sources in China. (c) European nations are contractually obligated to source their processed critical minerals from China. (d) The energy efficiency of renewable energy technologies is so low that their widespread adoption necessitates an increase in overall global energy production by coal.