ENERGY
(Bank P.O. 1994)
 In terms of the total energy consumed by different sectors, the largest consumer is understandably the industrial sector, which accounts for nearly half the total energy used in the country today. This is followed by the transport sector which consumes about 25%, the household sector (about 14%) and the agricultural sector (about 9%). This last sector has shown a considerable increase in energy use over the last four decades. Among the primary fuels, the relative proportion of coal has dropped from nearly 80% to 40% and that of oil has gone up from 17% to 44% over the same period.
Total energy consumption in India today is equivalent to 291 million tons of oil of which 26% comes from wood. On a per capita basis, it works out to about one litre of oil per day, which is extremely low by international standards. The future energy demand depends upon the level of development envisaged and also on the sections of people to be affected by it.
The energy disparity between the urban and the rural population is at present as wide as between nations on a worldwide scale. There is apparently a greater need to provide energy in the rural areas and to improve the efficiency of energy use than merely to increase the national figures for energy consumption limiting its use to those who are getting the bulk share already.
 With the projected rate of population growth, improving upon the per capita energy consumption is a Herculean task as our coal reserves and the capacity to import oil cannot be increased beyond a point. There is clearly no escape from the utilization of renewable energy sources in a big way if the gap between the desired levels of energy supply and available resources has to be kept at the minimum.
1. Which of the following styles has been adopted by the author?
(a) Unsubstantiated arguments and views
 (b) Data-based, but coloured by socialism
(c) Highly subjective with a bias for rural people
(d) Objective, descriptive, lacking clarity
 (e) Data-based, objective, positive, solution oriented
2. The author is laying greater emphasis on which of the following?
 A. Efficient use of energy
B. Increasing national indices for energy consumption
C. Controlling population growth
(a) Only A Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (b) Only B Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (c) Only C
(d) All the three
(e) Both B & C
 3. Which of the following shows correctly the different sectors consuming energy arranged in ascending order?
 I. Agriculture II. Household
 III. Industrial IV. Transport
(a) I, IV, II, III Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (b) I, II, IV, III
(c) III, IV, II, I Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (d) III, II, I, IV
 (e) None of these
4. According to the passage, the energy requirement of the future will be decided on the basis of which of the following?
A. Total energy already consumed by us in the past
B. Level of development of the oil industry
C. Profile of the affected people
(a)Â Only A Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (b) Only B
 (c) Only C                 (d) Both A & B
(e) Both B & C
5. There is clearly no escape’ means
(a) there is also no solution to this.
(b) there is a way out, but it is ambiguous.
 (c) there is a problem, but not without a solution.
 (d) there is hardly any alternative except
(e) there is more than one way.
6. The author feels that increasing the per capita use of energy is
 (a) not at all desirable
(b) a matter of great difficulty
(c) a routine matter
(d) rather difficult, but not impossible
(e) not easy but certainly achievable
7. Which of the following statements is true?
 (a) The industrial sector uses 50% of the total energy used in India.
(b) Energy consumption in India is 26% of world consumption.
(c) The household sector has shown a considerable increase in energy use.
(d) Use of oil has increased from 40% to 80%.
(e) Import of oil to the extent required is quite possible.
8. ‘The energy disparity … as wide as … worldwide scale’, the first sentence of the third paragraph means
(a) disparity in urban and rural is observed in all nations.
(b) in no other nation, such disparity is observed.
 (c) developed countries consume more energy than developing countries.
 (d) the worldwide scale is different for rural and urban areas.
(e) None of these
9. Which of the following has been suggested by the author as the best possible solution to overcome the energy crisis?
(a) Exploration of oil reserves
(b) Maximization of renewable sources
(c) Importing large quantities of coal
 (d) Reducing the share of bulk users
 (e) Reducing the energy disparity between urban and rural areas
10. Which of the following has been mentioned as a major hurdle in enhancing per capita consumption of energy in India?
 (a) Present level of development in India
(b) International norm of 1 litre of oil per day per person
(c) Disparity in use of energy in rural and urban areas
(d) Increased use of energy in the Agricultural sector
 (e) None of these
 Answers:-
1. (e) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2. (a)
3. (b) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4. (e)
5. (d)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6. (b)
7.(b)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8. (b)
9. (b) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10. (a)
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