UPSC Notes

In an economy, there are three types of economic activities: primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary activities include agriculture, forestry and related activities including hunting and fishing. These activities provide a foundation to the economies through the production of food, fuel and other goods for human consumption to support life. It is assumed that communities

Tidal energy relies on the difference in height (or the tidal range) between high and low tides over a given time period. The larger the difference in height, or tidal range, is, the more potential energy can be harnessed to produce electricity. Although tidal power will never be a major source of electricity generation, there

A simple definition of geothermal energy is heat energy obtained from the earth. It may surface itself through the form of hot springs which have been used for cooking, heating and bathing. The temperature in the interior of the earth rises steadily with depth. Like other forms of renewable energy, it is also cleaner than

Nuclear power is the energy that heat and lights our cities and towns. It has simplified our lives and made it easier to do everything in life. Nuclear power plants produce electricity by harnessing the energy stored in the nuclei of atoms of naturally occurring radioactive elements like uranium and thorium. These atoms undergo nuclear

Wind energy has been harnessed for hundreds of years. Ancient civilizations have created primitive windmills in order to provide a better way of irrigation and pumping water from the ground. In the industrial era, wind energy was used to power pumps in coal mines and mills for grinding grains. The improved wind turbine was able

Solar energy is the energy from the sun that is converted into other forms of energy such as heat, light, and electricity. Solar energy can also be used to produce renewable electricity. This type of clean energy from the sun is being harnessed in a number of ways for use in homes, businesses, and industry.

What is the solution to the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels? Is it time to say goodbye to fossil fuels, since they are not possible to replace? For more than a century, they have been the primary sources of energy. Fossil fuels, which are finite resources, provide more than 80% of the world’s energy needs.

The electricity produced by hydel power is very cheap and reliable. It is, however, restricted to the areas near rivers and seas where dams can be built. The hydroelectric plants can be built in such a way that they do not affect the flow of the river. Dams also play a very important role in

Natural gas is a fossil fuel found with petroleum deposits; it is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas released when crude oil is brought to the surface. Because natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil fuels like coal and oil, many countries around the world are using it as a domestic and industrial fuel. Major producers

Petroleum or crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and a valuable natural resource. Petroleum is found in big oil fields under the ground, off-shore and at coastal locations The oil field extraction process involves drilling. Oil is transported to refineries to be processed and different petroleum products like diesel, petrol (gasoline), kerosene (jet