Economy · 27 Aug 2026

GOBARdhan scheme feedstock constraints

With reference to the feedstock constraints for Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants under the revamped GOBARdhan scheme, consider the following pairs:
Feedstock : Defining Logistical Constraint

  1. Press mud : Must be sourced within a 25-km radius of the plant due to rapid moisture-driven decay
  2. Paddy straw : Must be collected within a 15-day window during the Kharif and Rabi harvesting periods
  3. Cattle dung : Yields a significantly higher percentage of gas than paddy straw or other agricultural residues
AOnly one
BOnly two
CAll three
DNone
This question is based on: The 25-Kilometre Rule: Why India's ₹23,731-Crore Biogas Bet Now Lives or Dies in Logistics
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 27 Aug 2026
About this question

Why in news

The Union Cabinet approved the revamped GOBARdhan scheme on August 6, 2026, with a ₹23,731-crore outlay through FY 2035-36, resolving CBG demand-side uncertainty via administered pricing and phased blending obligations, while industry attention has now shifted to the unresolved feedstock logistics bottleneck.

Why for UPSC

UPSC often builds questions around plausible-sounding but reversed quantitative relationships - here, assuming cattle dung (the most commonly cited feedstock) must also be the most efficient one is exactly the kind of unexamined assumption the exam is designed to catch.

Prelims summary

Under GOBARdhan, press mud decays within a 25-km radius, paddy straw must be collected within a 15-day harvest window and cattle dung - despite being the most familiar feedstock - yields only ~6% gas versus 10%+ from paddy straw and other agricultural residues.

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