Why in news
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced plans for a central AgriPV support scheme to bridge the higher installation costs of agrivoltaic projects.
Key terms
Agrivoltaics
Simultaneous deployment of solar power generation and crop farming on the same land.
Feed-in Tariff (FiT)
Guaranteed minimum price paid to renewable power producers for electricity fed into the grid.
Land-Use Efficiency
Ratio of economic or physical yield derived from a given unit of land surface.
Viability Gap Funding
Financial grant provided to support infrastructure projects that are economically justified but financially unviable.
What is AgriPV (Agrivoltaics)?
- Dual land-use model co-locating solar photovoltaic panels with agricultural cultivation on the same piece of land.
- Allows simultaneously generating clean energy and growing shade-tolerant food crops, improving land-use efficiency.
Key features of the proposed scheme
- Aims to bridge the 25-30% higher capital cost gap associated with elevated mounting structures and specialized AgriPV setups.
- Envisions up to 5 GW of AgriPV capacity addition, contingent upon states notifying specific feed-in tariffs.
- Promotes sustainable farm income while augmenting national solar power generation capacity.
Why it matters
- Addresses agricultural land constraints for ground-mounted solar installations while offering farmers dual revenue streams.
- Reduces soil moisture evaporation beneath solar panels, aiding microclimate regulation in semi-arid zones.
Prelims facts
- Agrivoltaic systems elevate solar panels to allow tractors and crop cultivation underneath.
Mains discussion
- Role of AgriPV in balancing clean energy transitions with agricultural land conservation and farmer income security.
Source: Business Standard
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
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2026 · Q10 · General Studies · 2 marks
Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period: I. Irrigation from wells allowed agriculture to expand away from flood plains and strips on river margins into the present Punjab and Haryana plains having underground water levels reasonably close to the surface. II. Draught-animal power was employed to draw up water out of the wells. Which of the following information support/supports the above statements? 1. There is evidence in the Rigveda of the use of ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) to draw up water. 2. Mention has been made in the Rigveda of the use of implements like parashu/kulisha (axe) and datra/sreni (sickle). 3. There is a history of the use of ox, even before the Rigveda, for ploughing the land and pulling the carts -
2026 · Q16 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939? 1. Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi. 2. The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose. 3. The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours. 4. The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose. Select the answer using the code given below: -
2026 · Q18 · General Studies · 2 marks
Consider the following assertion: The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague- Chelmsford Reforms, 1919. Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion? 1. Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates. 2. Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger. 3. Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates. Select the answer using the code given below: -
2026 · Q65 · General Studies · 2 marks
Consider the following statements with respect to the AI Impact Summit, 2026 held in New Delhi: 1. The Summit's intellectual framework was based on three foundational Sutras: People, Planning, and Progress. 2. The Preamble of the Summit stresses Democratising AI Resources, which acknowledges the Charter for Democratic Diffusion of AI as a binding framework to support locally relevant innovation and strengthen resilient AI ecosystems while respecting national laws. 3. The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact was structured around seven Access Chakras (Pillars), which included Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science, and Secure and Trusted AI. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? -
2026 · Q77 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which of the following statements in relation to NIRANTAR (National Institute for Research and Application of Natural Resources to Transform, Adapt and Build Resilience), a platform of institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is/are correct? 1. Ecosystem Survey and Analysis is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of which is Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata. 2. Research and Management of Ecosystem Service is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of which is Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi. 3. Capacity Development Support is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of which is Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal. Select the answer using the code given below: