Which one of the following Union Ministries is implementing the Biodiesel Mission (as Nodal Ministry)?

Answer: (d) Ministry of Rural Development

The Ministry of Rural Development was the nodal ministry — jatropha was to be planted on wasteland under rural employment programmes.

The idea

The 2003 plan was to grow jatropha, a non-edible oilseed shrub, on village wasteland using rural labour. Wasteland development and rural employment both belong to the Ministry of Rural Development, so it was made the nodal ministry.

Wasteland in villages → Plant jatropha → Seeds give non-edible oil → Oil is processed into biodiesel → Blended with diesel

Why the others are wrong

(c) MNRE handles renewables, but the Biodiesel Mission (jatropha planting) was run by Rural Development.

The trap

MNRE is the obvious “renewable energy” ministry.

Also know

The mission did not succeed: jatropha gave poor yields on dry wasteland without water and care. Today biofuels are handled by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas under the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, and used cooking oil is collected for biodiesel under the food regulator’s RUCO initiative.