DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

GS-III : Biodiversity & Environment Biodiversity & Environment

16 July, 2020
2 Min Read

Biofuels

Researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad are studying impediments to incorporating biofuels into the fuel sector in India.

Significance of Biofuels:

Biofuels in India are of strategic importance as it augers well with the ongoing initiatives of the Government such as Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and Skill Development and offers a great opportunity to integrate with the ambitious targets of doubling Farmer's Income, Import Reduction, Employment Generation, Waste to Wealth Creation.

What are Biofuels?

Any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from organic matter in a short period of time is considered a biofuel.
Biofuels may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature.
- Solid: Wood, dried plant material, and manure
- Liquid: Bioethanol and Biodiesel
- Gaseous: Biogas

Classification of Biofuels:

1st generation biofuels are also called conventional biofuels.
- They are made from things like sugar, starch, or vegetable oil.
- These are all food products.
- Any biofuel made from a feedstock that can also be consumed as human food is considered a first-generation biofuel.
2nd generation biofuels are produced from sustainable feedstock.
- The sustainability of a feedstock is defined by its availability, its impact on greenhouse gas emissions, its impact on land use, and its potential to threaten the food supply.
- No second-generation biofuel is also a food crop.
- Second-generation biofuels are often called “advanced biofuels.”
3rd generation biofuels are biofuels derived from algae.
- These biofuels have unique production mechanism and their potential to mitigate most of the drawbacks of 1st and 2nd generation biofuels.
4th generation biofuels: In the production of these fuels, crops that are genetically engineered to take in high amounts of carbon are grown and harvested as biomass.
- The crops are then converted into fuel using second-generation techniques.

Government of India initiatives to promote the use of Biofuels:

Since 2014, the Government of India has taken a number of initiatives to increase the blending of biofuels.

The major interventions include an administrative price mechanism for ethanol, amending the provisions of the Industries (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951
The Government approved the National Policy on Biofuels-2018 in June 2018. The policy has the objective of reaching 20% ethanol-blending and 5% biodiesel-blending by the year 2030.
The policy expands the scope of feedstock for ethanol production and has provided for incentives for production of advanced biofuels.

Source: TH

Join Our Telegram

Voice clone-AI

Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana

06 Feb, 24
SHARE

Recently, Prime Minister announced Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana under which 1 crore households will get rooftop solar power systems. India’s Status of Current Solar Capacity India currently stands at 4th place globally in solar power capacity. As per Ministry of New an

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)- NGO

06 Feb, 24
SHARE

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) registration of two prominent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) — Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and World Vision India (WVI) have been cancelled this month. What is FCRA? Key provisions of FCRA, 2010 Key aspects Description

Voice clone-AI

06 Feb, 24
SHARE

Voice clone fraud has been on the rise in India. AI voice cloning – It is the process of creating a synthetic replica of a person’s voice through machine learning and speech synthesis technology.It is called as voice deepfakesor audio deepfakes. Objective – To achieve a high level of na

Science communication- how to promote

06 Feb, 24
SHARE

Steps taken by India to promote Science Communication Publications and Information Directorate (PID) - An organisation under Council of Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) established in 1951 for publishing and disseminating scientific information in India. National science magazines- The PI

Universal Basic Income (UBI)- Analysis

05 Feb, 24
SHARE

Universal Basic Income (UBI) can strengthen welfare architecture and unlock the nation’s latent demographic potential. UBI - It is an income support mechanism typically intended to reach all or a very large portion of the population regardless of their earnings or employment status. Objective- To provide enough to co

Quick Links Testimonials FAQ

Crash Course

Regular Modules 2024

Mains

Optional

Biofuels

Biofuels

Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)- NGO

Voice clone-AI

Science communication- how to promote

Universal Basic Income (UBI)- Analysis

DNA

06 Feb,2024

GS-III

PT Pickups

Toppers

Search By Date

Top Editorials

UPSC Courses

Saarthi Mentorship Programme

Important Tags

Articles:Geography And Environment

Articles: History Culture Society

Articles: Governance & National Issues

Articles: IR & IO

Articles: Economic Development & Economic Issues

Articles: S&T Internal Security

Articles: Ethics & Others

Articles: Others

Newsletter Subscription

SMS Alerts

Important Links