Which of these states had the highest installed capacity of solar energy in India as on March 2023 ?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, Rajasthan. As on 31 March 2023 Rajasthan had the largest cumulative installed solar power capacity of any Indian state — of the order of 16 GW, clearly ahead of every other state. Rajasthan overtook Karnataka during 2021-22 because the Thar belt (Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner) combines very high solar radiation with vast tracts of cheap, unproductive land; India's largest solar park, Bhadla Solar Park (about 2,245 MW) in Jodhpur district, sits in that belt.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) A renewable-energy leader, but historically on the wind side (the Muppandal belt in Kanyakumari district), not solar. Its cumulative solar capacity in March 2023 was far below Rajasthan's.  (b) A strong solar state — it built India's first large solar park (Charanka, Patan district) and leads India in rooftop solar — but its cumulative solar capacity was still below Rajasthan's as on March 2023.  (d) Was India's solar leader until 2021-22 on the strength of Pavagada Solar Park (about 2,050 MW) in Tumakuru district; Rajasthan then overtook it and was ahead in March 2023.

Concept: India's solar capacity is concentrated in a handful of states, and the ranking has shifted over time. Karnataka led until 2021-22 (Pavagada Solar Park); Rajasthan then took the top slot and has held it, helped by high direct solar radiation, large low-cost waste land and dedicated transmission build-out in the Thar region. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) publishes state-wise cumulative installed renewable capacity — that dataset is what an 'as on ' question is testing.

State PCS 2025 Q16 — Geography PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2025 Q16 — Geography PYQ with Answer