Mains answer practice — GS 3 : Questions on Women-led MSMEs and green energy (Week 109)

Indian Express

01-07-2025

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today's answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-3 to check your progress.
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How has India's energy production evolved between 2013 and 2023? Identify the primary causes of the improvement and discuss why green energy productivity growth may be decreasing.
Examine the problems that women entrepreneurs confront in India's MSME sector. How might policies be tailored to provide comprehensive support rather than piecemeal assistance?
Introduction
— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.
— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.
Body
— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.
— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.
— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.
— Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer.
— Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required.
Way forward/ conclusion
— The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction.
— You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers.
Self Evaluation
— It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers.
QUESTION 1: How has India's energy production evolved between 2013 and 2023? Identify the primary causes of the improvement and discuss why green energy productivity growth may be decreasing.
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— As India seeks to become the world's fourth-largest economy by 2025, it is critical to maintain strong economic growth while reducing carbon emissions.
— By 2030, India hopes to have non-fossil energy sources account for 50% of its installed power capacity. Wind and solar energy capability India ranks fourth and fifth internationally in wind and solar power capacity, respectively. In 2022-23, renewables will account for more than 20% of the energy mix, up from 17% in 2013-14.
— India's rapid economic expansion is energy-intensive, with energy consumption rising by more than 40% over the past decade, from 379 exajoules (EJ) in 2013 to 531 EJ in 2023. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions increased by 5.3% in 2024, three times the global rise of 0.8% in the same year (IEA Global Energy Review, 2025). India's electricity sector alone is responsible for half of all energy-related emissions.
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
Decrease in green energy productivity
— According to the MOSPI (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation) National Accounts Statistics and MOSPI Energy Balance, between 2013 and 2023, India's gross output increased by 79%, final energy use increased by 40%, electricity consumption increased by 70%, and green electricity from wind, solar, biomass, and cogeneration bagasse (excluding hydro and nuclear) increased by 267%. This highlights three trends: energy usage remains linked to growth, electricity demand may soon outstrip GDP, and green electricity, while slowing, will continue to expand faster than overall energy use, helping to reduce emissions that would otherwise increase.
— India's energy productivity increased by 28% between 2013 and 2023, which might be attributed to one or more of three factors: higher economic activity, changes in the structure of the economy, and improved energy efficiency.
— Steel, cement, and chemicals industries improved because to plans like Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT), but transportation and agriculture declined. Because of this unequal development, green energy growth has yet to convert into higher overall energy productivity as green energy expands fast.
Conclusion:
— Sustainable economic growth necessitates cleaner energy consumption while simultaneously posing the problem of efficiently using energy to grow. India's energy sector is still developing, with efficiency gains inconsistent and lacking a clear trend.
— The results have policy implications for India's energy and economic policymakers. One, growing non-fossil energy sources is not enough; they must be used efficiently. Increasing green capacity is not sufficient. Policy must prioritise increasing the productivity of green energy through better grid integration, technology updates, and targeted incentives.
— Energy productivity must be adopted as a crucial indicator: rather than focussing merely on capacity expansion or total consumption, energy productivity provides a more accurate lens for aligning energy policy with economic goals. Although India has achieved great progress in energy efficiency, diminishing green energy productivity presents a new problem.
(Source: Sustainable economic growth demands cleaner energy use but also poses a challenge of efficiently using energy to grow)
Points to Ponder
Read more about renewable energy
Read about fossil energy sources
Related Previous Year Questions
What is the status of digitalization in the Indian economy? Examine the problems faced in this regard and suggest improvements. (2023)
Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain. (2022)
QUESTION 2: Examine the problems that women entrepreneurs confront in India's MSME sector. How might policies be tailored to provide comprehensive support rather than piecemeal assistance?
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— Women-led MSMEs (WMSMEs) are about more than just female empowerment and mainstreaming. It is also important for families, communities, and the local economy.
— According to the Economic Survey 2024-25, women own only 22% of India's MSMEs. A considerable proportion of these businesses are micro-enterprises, which are primarily single-person operations with a high concentration in low-margin, informal, and traditional industries such as tailoring, food processing, and handcrafts. Despite accounting for over half of the population, India has an alarmingly low proportion of women-led businesses.
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
— There is a lot of excitement in India about capitalising on the demographic dividend, which might drive economic growth and promote the country's transition to a high-income status. This primarily relates to realising the potential of India's young. However, there is another untapped Indian group that has the potential to significantly boost India's GDP: women.
— According to studies, women reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families, compared to 30-40% for males. This translates into improved nutrition, education, and health outcomes for children, as well as a stronger society and more resilient economy.
— Women MSMEs are more likely to recruit other women, so reducing gender imbalances in the labour market and fostering innovation in underserved industries such as bio-economy, eco-tourism, arts and crafts, food processing, and so on. Many of these WMSMEs operate in rural and neglected areas, meeting critical local needs and bridging the urban-rural gap. Thus, unleashing the potential of women-led MSMEs is more than just an inclusion issue; it is a national economic imperative.
— The MSME sector is the backbone of the Indian economy, accounting for 30% of GDP and employing more than 20 crore people. It is also one of the few sectors of the economy where women's participation is relatively high. However, women-led businesses struggle to obtain official finance, market connections, or even basic recognition. Less than 10% of female entrepreneurs use formal loan facilities, while the rest continue to rely on personal savings or informal channels to keep their firms running. This is despite evidence showing that women-led enterprises have high repayment rates, low default rates, and significant job creation potential.
— In rural India, where women already lead collective action through self-help groups (SHGs), the potential is much greater. However, financing models, policies, and corporate support systems have not kept pace with their ambitions. Most women do not have collateral, official business records, or credit scores, which are the basic requirements for formal lending.
— While various entrepreneurship programs exist (RSETI, SVEP, PM Vishwakarma, and PMEGP), these efforts are frequently gender-blind and operate in silos, focussing solely on inputs such as training or one-time investment.
— However, over the last decade, various new programmes and models have arisen that try to establish entire support ecosystems around women entrepreneurs rather than just addressing one aspect of the problem. SHGs and community enterprise models continue to drive a quiet revolution in rural India.
Conclusion:
— Digital innovation is also altering the rules. Platforms such as the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) enable women to contact clients beyond the usual limits of retail infrastructure. Mann Deshi and Rang De are pioneers in women-friendly banking models, providing tech platforms that not only lend but also train, coach, and connect women-led businesses to the market.
— Women-led businesses have high social and economic benefits, and CSR may help de-risk early-stage investments and create a supportive entrepreneurship ecosystem for female entrepreneurs.
(Source: Women-led MSMEs are the key to 'Viksit Bharat')
Points to Ponder
Read about MSME classification
Read Economic Survey 2024-25
Related Previous Year Questions
Faster economic growth requires increased share of the manufacturing sector in GDP, particularly of MSMEs. Comment on the present policies of the Government in this regard (2023)
'Industrial growth rate has lagged behind in the overall growth of Gross-Domestic-Product (GDP) in the post-reform period' Give reasons. How far the recent changes in Industrial Policy are capable of increasing the industrial growth rate? (2017)
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