RAS question
The India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce, launched in February 2026, operates under which framework? What is the approved Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for early offshore wind projects?
Correct answer: (B) Vision 2035; ₹7,453 crore.
The India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce operates under Vision 2035 and the Fourth Energy Dialogue, and the approved VGF for early offshore wind projects is ₹7,453 crore.
Explanation
The PIB release identifies the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce as a working mechanism, not just a symbolic platform, constituted under Vision 2035 and the Fourth Energy Dialogue. That matters because the taskforce is meant to provide strategic leadership and coordination for India’s offshore wind effort. The same release links the policy framework to early project support: the Government introduced a Viability Gap Funding scheme with a total outlay of ₹7,453 crore, approximately £710 million. The figure is tied to the high upfront complexity of offshore wind, including port infrastructure, marine logistics and seabed leasing. Therefore, the matched pair in the options is Vision 2035 and ₹7,453 crore.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Vision 2030 and ₹5,200 crore do not match the PIB-backed framework or the stated VGF outlay for the taskforce.
- (C) Vision 2040 is not the framework cited for the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce, and ₹10,000 crore is not the approved VGF figure given in the source.
- (D) Vision 2047 and ₹12,500 crore overstate both the framework horizon and the funding figure compared with the cited Vision 2035 and ₹7,453 crore.
Concept
This tests renewable-energy policy instruments within the Indian Economy syllabus, especially how international clean-energy cooperation is paired with fiscal support. It recurs in RAS because schemes, funding mechanisms and India’s energy-transition partnerships are frequently asked as matched factual pairs.