Which of the following was the correct ascending order of the States in the installed capacity of renewable energy up to December 2025?
- (a)Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra
- (b)Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat
- (c)Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat
- (d)Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan
Correct — C, Tamil Nadu → Maharashtra → Rajasthan → Gujarat. Ascending puts the largest last, and as on December 2025 Gujarat led every State with about 42,583 MW of installed renewable capacity, roughly 16.5% of India's total. Rajasthan was an extremely close second at about 42,531 MW, with Maharashtra third (about 30,300 MW) and Tamil Nadu fourth (about 27,100 MW). Gujarat's edge comes from being strong on both legs of the portfolio — about 25,500 MW of solar and about 14,800 MW of wind, with Kutch district alone supplying nearly 7,500 MW of wind — whereas Rajasthan's capacity is overwhelmingly solar.
- (a)Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra — Almost exactly inverted — it makes Gujarat the smallest and Maharashtra the largest. Gujarat topped the December 2025 table and Maharashtra was third.
- (b)Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat — It gets the top two right but swaps Tamil Nadu out for Karnataka. Karnataka's renewable capacity at end-2025 (roughly 24-26 GW) was behind Tamil Nadu's, so it does not belong in the leading group the question is testing; the official key accepts only option (c).
- (d)Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan — Places Rajasthan above Gujarat. That is true for solar capacity alone — Rajasthan led solar with about 36 GW — but on total renewable capacity Gujarat was narrowly ahead in December 2025, and it widened the gap through 2026.
'Renewable energy installed capacity' as reported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy adds up solar, wind, small hydro, bio-power and (in the wider series) large hydro. Because the mix differs by State, rankings change with the metric: Rajasthan wins on solar because of the Thar's high irradiance and vast waste land, Gujarat wins on wind because of the Kutch–Saurashtra coast, and it is the sum of the two that decides the overall leader. India's total renewable capacity crossed about 2,58,000 MW by the end of 2025, with solar the single largest component.
The examiner is exploiting the gap between 'largest solar State' (Rajasthan) and 'largest renewable-energy State' (Gujarat). Note also how close the top two run — Gujarat and Rajasthan trade places between reporting dates — which is why the question fixes an as-on date. Read the direction word: ascending means the leader is written last.
- As on December 2025 Gujarat led with about 42,583 MW of renewable capacity — about 16.5% of India's total
- Rajasthan was a very close second at about 42,531 MW; Maharashtra third (about 30,300 MW) and Tamil Nadu fourth (about 27,100 MW)
- Gujarat's December 2025 mix: about 25,500 MW solar and about 14,800 MW wind, of which Kutch district alone contributed nearly 7,500 MW
- Rajasthan led on solar alone with about 36 GW as on November 2025, roughly 27% of India's installed solar
- India's cumulative renewable capacity was about 2,58,000 MW at the end of 2025
- Answering with the solar ranking when the question asks about total renewable capacity — Rajasthan leads solar, Gujarat leads the total
- Ignoring the as-on date: Gujarat and Rajasthan are close enough at the top that the order differs between reporting dates
- Whether large hydro is counted shifts the third and fourth places between Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu — always check which MNRE series a figure comes from
MPPSC asks it as a ranking or sequence with a fixed cut-off date; UPSC prefers the policy layer — targets, schemes, ISA, grid integration — rather than the State table itself.
Consider the following statements: 1. Gujarat has the largest solar park in India. 2. Kerala has a fully solar powered International Airport. 3. Goa has the largest floating solar photovoltaic project in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3
- (d) 3 only
Answer(b) 2 only — Cochin International Airport is fully solar powered; the largest solar park claim for Gujarat is false
Same Gujarat-versus-Rajasthan discrimination — UPSC used the false 'Gujarat has the largest solar park' statement exactly where MPPSC uses the solar-versus-total-renewable confusion.
Which of these states had the highest installed capacity of solar energy in India as on March 2023 ?
- (a) Tamil Nadu
- (b) Gujarat
- (c) Rajasthan
- (d) Karnataka
Answer(c) Rajasthan
The companion question — Rajasthan tops solar capacity, which is precisely why option (d) here is tempting. Solve them as a pair: Rajasthan for solar, Gujarat for total renewables.
Which of the following statements is NOT correct regarding wind-power capacity in India?
- (a) Wind power capacity in India has significantly increased.
- (b) Gujarat has around 22 % of the total wind-power capacity of the country.
- (c) Tamil Nadu’s wind-power capacity was about 24 % of the country in the year 2021.
- (d) Madhya Pradesh has third rank in the country in wind-power capacity.
Answer(d) Madhya Pradesh has third rank in the country in wind-power capacity.
Tests the wind half of the same portfolio — Gujarat's and Tamil Nadu's wind shares are the reason the total-renewables order looks different from the solar order.
- practice — not a real PYQ
As on December 2025, which State had the largest installed renewable energy capacity in India?
- (a)Rajasthan
- (b)Gujarat
- (c)Tamil Nadu
- (d)Karnataka
Answer(b) Gujarat — about 42.6 GW, roughly 16.5% of India's renewable capacity, marginally ahead of Rajasthan.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Under its updated Nationally Determined Contribution, India has committed to meeting about 50% of its cumulative installed electric power capacity from non-fossil-fuel sources by:
- (a)2025
- (b)2030
- (c)2035
- (d)2047
Answer(b) 2030 — part of the Panchamrit commitments announced at COP26, alongside the 500 GW non-fossil capacity goal.