UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 3 : Questions on LVM3 and rise in consumption of fertiliser in India (Week 127)

QUESTION 1

With the upcoming adaptations of LVM3 for human space-flight and larger payloads, India is working to enhance its cryogenic and semi-cryogenic engine stages. Discuss.

QUESTION 2

Discuss the factors driving the sharp rise in consumption of urea in India, and what are their implications for agricultural sustainability?

General points on the structure of the answers for UPSC Mains

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.

QUESTION 1: With the upcoming adaptations of LVM3 for human space-flight and larger payloads, India is working to enhance its cryogenic and semi-cryogenic engine stages. Discuss.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— India’s biggest launch vehicle, LVM3, is ready to put into orbit the communication satellite CMS-03. This satellite will be the first weighing over 4,000 kg to be put in the distant geosynchronous transfer orbit from Indian soil.

— So far, ISRO has contracted out the launch of the heavier satellites to private space agencies from other countries. The current launch is a milestone towards the growing capability of the launch vehicle, a modified version of which will also be used under the Gaganyaan mission to put humans in space.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— LVM3 — earlier referred to as Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle Mark 3 or GSLV Mk 3 — uses solid, liquid, as well as cryogenic fuel-based engines to put up to 8,000 kg in low Earth orbit and up to 4,000 kg in geosynchronous orbit.

— The space agency is working on a few ways to increase the carrying capacity of the launch vehicle, especially considering that it will be used for the country’s human spaceflight mission.

— It is very important, especially for the human mission, where the space agency would need to ensure that the astronauts safely return to Earth, even through the massive heat generated due to friction in the atmosphere.

Significance of enhancing cryogenic and semi-cryogenic engine stages for India

— The space agency’s initial plan was to use its workhorse PSLV for polar and low Earth orbit launches, usually much closer to the Earth’s surface, and use the GSLV II and GSLV Mk 3 to launch the satellites to the more distant geosynchronous orbits of around 36,000 km from the Earth’s surface.

— The vehicle was later adapted in 2022 to launch 72 OneWeb satellites in two launches to low Earth orbit, prompting the change in name of the rocket. This came at a time when OneWeb was hard-pressed to find a launch provider — Russia had stopped flying the internet constellation citing data being provided to Ukraine, and one of the major European launchers, Ariane-5, was set to retire with its replacement, Ariane-6, not in commission. During these two OneWeb missions, the rocket carried a heavier payload of more than 5,700 kg, but to a low Earth orbit of around 450 km from the Earth’s surface.

— As for India’s heavy satellites — and the country does have a few communication satellites weighing more than 4,000 kg — they were put in orbit by other private launchers. The 5,854 kg GSAT 11 and 4,181 kg GSAT-24 were launched by Arianespace. The space agency also relied on Elon Musk’s SpaceX last year to put the 4,700 kg GSAT-20 satellite into orbit.

— The space agency is looking at using a semi-cryogenic engine instead of the liquid-propellant based second stage of the rocket. A cryogenic engine essentially uses liquefied gases at extremely low temperatures as the fuel — in this case liquid oxygen and hydrogen. A semi-cryogenic engine uses a liquefied gas and a liquid propellant. ISRO plans to use a refined kerosene and liquid oxygen based second stage. This will not only increase the capability of the launch vehicle, it might also be cheaper.

Conclusion:

— ISRO’s heaviest launcher is also one of its most successful, with all seven of its flights putting satellites in the intended orbits. It is the launch vehicle that took both Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 to space, in addition to communication satellites GSAT-19 and GSAT-29.

(Source: ISRO’s heaviest comms sat launch: All about LVM3, India’s biggest ever launch vehicle)

Read more: ISRO launches India’s heaviest communication satellite — a must-read for UPSC exam

Points to Ponder

Read about other launching vehicles of India

What is SSLV?

Read about the satellite CMS-03

Related Previous Year Question of UPSC CSE

What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota. (2023)

QUESTION 2: Discuss the factors driving the sharp rise in consumption of urea in India, and what are their implications for agricultural sustainability?

(File Photo)

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— India’s urea consumption is set to touch 40 million tonnes (mt) in the current fiscal, due to surplus monsoon-induced demand and also the maximum retail price (MRP) of the nitrogenous fertiliser remaining unchanged for over a decade.

— The first six months of this fiscal have registered a 2.1% year-on-year increase, which is likely to sustain or even go up with farmers planting more area under wheat, mustard, potato and other rabi (winter-spring) season crops.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— Table 1 shows urea consumption doubling, from about 14 mt to 28.1 mt, between 1990-91 and 2010-11 and rising to 30.6 mt in 2013-14. Thereafter, it flattened and actually fell to 29.9 mt by 2017-18.

( Note: The table is intended solely for reference and general understanding. You do not need to include it in your answers.)

— Neem coating was expected to enable a more gradual release of the 46% nitrogen in urea, prolonging its action and translating into better nutrient use efficiency. Besides reducing the number of bags required to be applied per acre, it was also intended to curb the illegal diversion of the heavily-subsidised fertiliser for non-agricultural use, from particle board, plywood and cattle feed manufacturing to milk adulteration.

— But neither neem coating, nor replacement of 50-kg bags with 45-kg ones (from March 2018) and the launch of liquid ultra-small particle size ‘Nano Urea’ by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (in June 2021), have lowered consumption after 2017-18. It crossed 35 mt in 2020-21 and could reach 40 mt this fiscal.

— Urea is available at half the price of the next cheapest fertiliser, SSP. And it has 46% nitrogen, as against the 27% nutrient content (16% phosphorous and 11% sulphur) in SSP. Even if the government takes a political decision to double the urea MRP, there will be no significant demand reduction, leave alone destruction.

Implications for agricultural sustainability

— The recent kharif (monsoon) crop season witnessed a scramble for urea, with reports from many states of farmers standing in long queues for hours to procure their bare minimum requirement.

— The situation doesn’t look that good even in the just-begun rabi (winter-spring) season, with opening stocks of urea on October 1, at 3.7 mt, below the 6.3 mt for the same date last year. The consumption rise is, moreover, happening with no commensurate increase in domestic production.

— Given its affordability (even a doubling of MRP will still make it the cheapest fertiliser), ease of application (unlike Nano Urea) and proven effectiveness (nitrogen is indispensable for plant growth), the demand for urea is unlikely to go down.

Conclusion:

— Urea consumption can, at best, be capped at around 45 mt through a mix of MRP rationalisation, rationing (not supplying say, more than 25 subsidised bags per farmer) and incorporation of urease and nitrification inhibitor chemicals (which slow down the release of nitrogen).

— India now has seven operational liquefied natural gas terminals at Dahej, Hazira and Mundra (Gujarat), Kochi (Kerala), Dabhol (Maharashtra), Ennore (Tamil Nadu) and Dhamra (Odisha). These terminals (six more are coming up), along with the pipelines crisscrossing much of the country, have made it possible to import and transport gas to urea plants in the hinterlands.

(Source: Why India might be staring at a urea scarcity)

Points to Ponder

Read about other fertilisers

How can scarcity of fertilisers like urea be solved?

Related Previous Year Questions of UPSC CSE

Explain the factors influencing the decision of the farmers on the selection of high value crops in India. (2025)

What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to the farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies. (2023)

How does nanotechnology offer significant advancements in the field of agriculture? How can this technology help to uplift the socio-economic status of farmers? (2025)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 126)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 125)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 126)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 125)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 125)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 126)

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