"Union Cabinet Approves National Circular Bioenergy Scheme for Compressed Biogas"
Compressed Biogas (CBG)
biogas purified and compressed to CNG-equivalent purity, usable in existing gas infrastructure
CBG Obligation
regulatory mandate requiring City Gas Distribution entities to procure a minimum percentage of CBG
India's rural energy landscape has long been characterised by dependence on biomass — wood, dung cakes, and crop residue — burned inefficiently in household settings, contributing to deforestation, indoor air pollution, and the wastage of organic matter that could otherwise enrich soil. As the NCERT's Indian Economic Development notes, gobar gas plants were historically promoted through subsidised loans to convert cattle dung into cooking fuel and organic slurry, but these remained small-scale and fragmented. The broader policy challenge has been to systematise this potential at national scale.
Simultaneously, India's natural gas sector faces a structural vulnerability: nearly 50 per cent of natural gas requirements are met through imports, with a significant share of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) transiting through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint that carries roughly 55–60 per cent of India's LNG imports. Geopolitical disruptions in this corridor have repeatedly exposed the fragility of India's energy supply chains, making domestic renewable gas production a strategic imperative beyond mere environmental benefit.
The original GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) initiative was launched in 2018 under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) as part of Solid and Liquid Waste Management, converting bio-waste — animal dung, kitchen leftovers, crop residue, and market waste — into biogas and bio-slurry. Over subsequent years, supporting instruments were layered on: the SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) initiative, the Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme for organic manure, the Biomass Aggregation Machinery (BAM) Scheme, and the Development of Pipeline Infrastructure (DPI) Scheme. However, these were spread across four different ministries, creating coordination gaps that limited sectoral scale-up.
Compressed Biogas (CBG) is produced by anaerobic digestion of organic feedstocks — cattle dung, agricultural residue, food waste, and sewage sludge — and then compressed to a pressure and purity level chemically equivalent to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). This chemical equivalence is the scheme's most strategically important feature: CBG can be injected directly into the existing gas pipeline network and used in City Gas Distribution (CGD) systems, vehicles, and industrial applications without requiring new end-use infrastructure. The by-product, bio-slurry, is a nutrient-rich organic fertiliser that can substitute for chemical fertilisers, closing the circular economy loop.
The scheme's six integrated components address the full value chain. Component 1 establishes a CBG Offtake Assurance framework, mandating that CGD entities procure CBG at a rising obligation trajectory — 3% in FY 2026-27, 4% in FY 2027-28, and 5% from FY 2028-29 onwards — providing producers with a guaranteed, price-stable market. This demand-side assurance is critical because private investment in capital-intensive biogas plants has historically been deterred by offtake uncertainty. …
Consider the following:
1.Battery storage
2.Biomass generators
3.Fuel cells
4.Rooftop solar photovoltaic units
How many of the above are considered "Distributed Energy Resources"?
Consider the following statements about the Rashtriya Gokul Mission:
I.It is important for the upliftment of rural poor as majority of low producing indigenous animals are with small and marginal farmers and landless labourers.
II.It was initiated to promote indigenous cattle and buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the GOBARdhan National Circular Bioenergy Scheme, consider the following statements:
1.The scheme was originally launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) in 2018.
2.The nodal ministry for the consolidated scheme is the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
3.Compressed Biogas (CBG) is chemically equivalent to Compressed Natural Gas and can be integrated into existing gas infrastructure.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The CBG Obligation trajectory under the GOBARdhan National Circular Bioenergy Scheme mandates that City Gas Distribution entities procure Compressed Biogas at what percentage in FY 2026-27?
Which of the following best explains why the Strait of Hormuz is strategically significant for India's energy security?
Consider the following pairs relating to GOBARdhan-related schemes and their implementing agencies:
1.Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme — Department of Fertilizers
2.Biomass Aggregation Machinery (BAM) Scheme — Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
3.Development of Pipeline Infrastructure (DPI) Scheme — Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Assertion (A): The consolidation of the GOBARdhan scheme under a single nodal ministry is a significant governance reform.
Reason (R): Prior to consolidation, CBG-related interventions were spread across four different ministries, creating coordination gaps that limited sectoral scale-up.
Which of the following is correct?
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