RAS question
ADB approved a USD 460 million loan for agricultural solarisation in October 2025. Which Indian state will benefit from this loan?
Correct answer: (D) Maharashtra.
The Asian Development Bank's $460 million agricultural solarisation loan approved in October 2025 is for Maharashtra.
Explanation
ADB approved a $460 million results-based loan for the Maharashtra Power Distribution Enhancement Program for Agricultural Solarization on 29 October 2025. The loan is meant to modernise rural power infrastructure, promote distributed renewable energy generation, and give farmers reliable daytime solar electricity for irrigation in Maharashtra. That is why Maharashtra, not another state, is the beneficiary named in the question. The project also links to the PM-KUSUM objective of supporting solar pumps for farmers, with the expected benefit of reducing diesel dependence and irrigation costs. ADB's release further says the programme will solarise agricultural feeders, upgrade rural distribution networks, and improve agricultural productivity through dependable daytime power.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Gujarat is not the beneficiary named in ADB's October 2025 release; the cited programme is specifically for Maharashtra.
- (B) Rajasthan is a plausible solar-energy distractor, but the cited ADB loan is not for Rajasthan and the official release identifies Maharashtra.
- (C) Punjab is not linked to this ADB agricultural solarisation loan or to the official Asian Development Bank release.
Concept
This tests current-affairs linkage between multilateral development finance, renewable energy, and agricultural infrastructure. RAS often asks such questions because state-specific beneficiaries of national or externally aided schemes are easy to confuse.