CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Rajasthan has become the first State in the country to implement the national policy on biofuels unveiled by the Centre in May this year.

Detailed explanation-2: -Detailed Solution. The correct answer is Rajasthan.

Detailed explanation-3: -India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas published its “National Policy on Biofuels” in 2018, and further amended it June 2022. The policy’s objective is to support reducing the import of petroleum products by fostering domestic biofuel production.

Detailed explanation-4: -Instead of 2030, the Centre plans to move ahead with its ethanol blending target of 20% of petrol containing ethanol by 2025-26. It will promote the production of biofuels in the country, under the Make in India program, by units located in Special Economic Zones (SEZ)/ Export Oriented Units (EoUs).

Detailed explanation-5: -As per an FY2021 quarterly update, India’s biodiesel market demand stood at 0.17 million tonnes despite major setbacks due to the pandemic-induced disruption in supply chains. The report predicted a healthy growth of 8.60% CAGR until 2030, with a forecasted demand set to reach 0.26 million tonnes.