MAINS Current Affairs includes Geothermal Energy & India’s Next Employment Decade: From Jobs to Quality Careers

Physical Geography /Renewable Energy

1. Geothermal Energy

Context: India’s geothermal-energy programme received a major boost with the commissioning of its first two geothermal wells at Puga Valley in Ladakh.

• The development could help India explore the potential of round-the-clock renewable power, complementing variable sources such as solar and wind.

About Geothermal Energy

• Geothermal energy refers to the utilisation of the Earth’s internal heat for generating electricity or for direct heating and cooling applications.
• Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is largely independent of weather conditions and can potentially provide energy continuously.
• The Earth’s internal heat originates primarily from:
  • Radioactive decay of elements such as uranium, thorium and potassium; and
  • Residual heat left from the planet’s formation.
• In geologically active regions, faults and fractures can allow underground heat to move closer to the surface.
• This can create reservoirs containing hot water and steam, which can be harnessed for energy production.

How does it generate power?

• Deep wells bring hot water/steam to the surface.
• Steam drives a turbine connected to a generator.
• Condensed water is reinjected into the reservoir, supporting continued production.
• Geothermal heat can also be directly used for district heating, agriculture, aquaculture and space heating/cooling.

India’s Geothermal Potential

• India’s diverse geology provides significant geothermal opportunities.
• 381 hot springsmapped by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
• 10 geothermal provinces
• Theoretical geothermal potential: nearly 10.6 GW (10,600 MW).
• 42 sitesrecognised as promising for power generation and direct heat use.
• Major provinces include Himalayan, Naga-Lusai, Andaman & Nicobar, Son-Narmada-Tapi (SONATA), West Coast, Cambay Graben, Aravalli, Mahanadi, Godavari and South Indian Cratonic regions.

Puga Valley: A Landmark Development

• In July 2026, the ONGC Energy Centre commissioned India’s first two geothermal wells at Puga Valley, Ladakh, situated at an altitude of more than 14,000 feet.
• The two wells:
  • Have a depth of approximately 1,000 metres;
  • Will facilitate detailed evaluation of the geothermal reservoir; and
  • Are expected to support the development of India’s first 1-MW demonstration geothermal power project.
• Temperatures of up to 135°C have been recorded beneath Puga Valley, according to the source.

Emerging Applications & Projects

• India is gradually moving from geothermal-resource mapping towards pilot projects and field demonstrations.
• Ankleshwar, Gujarat:
  • A pilot project is assessing the possibility of generating electricity by repurposing unproductive oil and gas wells.
• Gandhinagar, Gujarat:
  • A solar-geothermal demonstration project has been undertaken.
  • Three wells produce geothermal fluid at around 70–80°C.
  • Electricity generation of approximately 50–90 kW has been demonstrated.
• Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh:
  • Geothermal resources are being assessed at five sites.
• Hyderabad:
  • Geothermal cooling systems are being explored for air-conditioning applications.
• Shallow Geothermal Energy:
  • Borehole Heat Exchangers are being studied for heating and cooling applications.

Key Concerns in Geothermal Energy

• High Upfront Cost:
  • Exploration, deep drilling and reservoir assessment require significant capital investment.
  • Uncertainty regarding the quality and size of the resource can increase financial risk.
• Geological Uncertainty:
  • India’s geothermal resources are unevenly distributed.
  • Identifying commercially viable reservoirs requires extensive geological, geophysical and geochemical investigations.
• Induced Seismicity:
  • Fluid injection and reinjection, particularly in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), can induce micro-earthquakes and, in some circumstances, larger seismic events.
• Water-Related Concerns:
  • Some geothermal operations require water.
  • Poor management may affect groundwater availability or quality.
• Environmental Impacts:
  • Potential environmental concerns include:
    • Land disturbance;
    • Release of gases and minerals;
    • Thermal pollution; and
    • Groundwater contamination.
  • Appropriate management of geothermal fluids is therefore essential.
• Technological Challenges:
  • Technologies such as EGS and Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS), along with deep drilling and sophisticated reservoir management, require specialised technology and expertise.
• Resource Depletion:
  • Excessive or poorly managed extraction can reduce reservoir pressure and temperature, lowering long-term productivity.
• Remote Locations:
  • Several promising sites, including Puga Valley in Ladakh, are located in difficult terrain.
  • This increases the cost of infrastructure development, transportation and electricity transmission.
• Limited Commercial Experience in India:
  • Although India has an estimated theoretical potential of around 6 GW, geothermal power remains largely at the demonstration and pilot stage.
  • Commercial-scale geothermal electricity generation has yet to be established.
• Regulatory and Investment Challenges:
  • Large-scale deployment requires:
    • Clear regulatory frameworks;
    • Risk-sharing mechanisms;
    • Greater private investment; and
    • Reliable and comprehensive geothermal-resource data.

Policy Push

• The National Policy on Geothermal Energy, 2025, with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) as the nodal ministry, seeks to develop geothermal energy as an important component of India’s renewable-energy portfolio.
• The policy promotes:
  • Geothermal research and exploration;
  • Drilling and reservoir management;
  • Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs);
  • Repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells;
  • A national geothermal data repository;
  • Pilot projects and Centres of Excellence; and
  • Greater public–private participation.
• The Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development (RE-RTD) programme supports the development of indigenous and cost-effective geothermal technologies.

Way Forward

• India’s estimated geothermal potential remains largely untapped, while commercial-scale geothermal power generation is yet to be established.
• Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS) can expand the geographical scope of geothermal development beyond conventional high-temperature zones.
• Greater emphasis should be placed on:
  • Improving geothermal-resource mapping;
  • Reducing exploration and drilling risks;
  • Developing indigenous drilling and reservoir-management technologies;
  • Creating appropriate regulatory and financing frameworks; and
  • Integrating geothermal power with India’s broader renewable-energy and storage ecosystem.
• International cooperation with countries such as Australia, Iceland and Saudi Arabia can facilitate technology transfer, research collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Globally, installed geothermal power capacity reached approximately 67 GW by the end of 2025.
  • Indonesia, the United States, the Philippines, Türkiye and New Zealand together accounted for around 67% of this installed capacity.

Conclusion

• Geothermal energy can provide India with a stable, weather-independent renewable-energy source while also supporting direct applications such as heating and cooling.
• The commissioning of geothermal wells at Puga Valley represents an important transition from resource assessment towards actual field-level demonstration.
• Realising India’s geothermal potential will require technological innovation, risk-sharing finance, robust environmental safeguards, reliable resource data and international cooperation.
• With appropriate policy support, geothermal energy can complement solar, wind, hydro and other clean-energy sources in building a more diversified, resilient and low-carbon energy system.

Economy; Employment

2. India’s Next Employment Decade: From Jobs to Quality Careers

Context: India is entering its next employment decade with a larger workforce and stronger foundations in infrastructure, formalisation, skill development and entrepreneurship.

• The central challenge is now to transform this growing workforce into productive, formal, well-paid and inclusive employment.

About India’s Employment Status

• India’s employment landscape has witnessed substantial changes over the past decade.
• The RBI’s KLEMS databaseprovisionally estimates employment to have increased from 15 crore in 2014-15 to 64.33 crore in 2023-24, an addition of 17.18 crore workers.
• However, employment numbers alone do not capture its quality. The next phase needs to focus on formalisation, real wages, social security, productivity, working conditions and career progression.
• TheReimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047 (NITI Aayog report), highlights the scale of the skilling challenge, estimates that around 9 crore young Indians were neither in education, employment nor training (NEET), with nearly 88% engaged in domestic duties.
• Such persons should not automatically be labelled unemployed, but the figures reveal substantial untapped human capital, particularly among young women.

Present Status and Growth Trends in the Last Decade

• Employment expansion has occurred alongside improvements in financial inclusion, infrastructure and entrepreneurship.
  • Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):
    • Under usual status, female LFPR increased from 3% in 2017–18 to 41.7% in 2023–24.
  • Skill Development:
    • More than 64 crore candidates have been trained or oriented under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
  • Apprenticeships:
    • More than 08 lakh apprentices have been engaged since 2016, strengthening opportunities for practical, work-based learning.
  • Start-up Employment:
    • Recognised start-ups generated more than 23 lakh direct jobs by April 2026.
  • Growth of Unicorns:
    • India’s unicorn ecosystem expanded from just four unicorns in 2014 to more than 120 firms valued above $1 billion.
  • Geographical Diversification:
    • Around half of recognised start-ups originate from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, indicating that entrepreneurial activity is spreading beyond major metropolitan centres.
  • Labour-market indicators must also be interpreted according to their respective reference periods.
    • Current Weekly Status (CWS) captures a person’s activity during the preceding seven days.
    • Usual Status reflects the broader employment situation over a longer annual reference period.
    • Therefore, monthly, weekly and annual indicators should be treated as complementary rather than interchangeable measures.

What are the Key Concerns and Issues?

• Quality versus Quantity of Jobs: The addition of workers does not automatically imply productive or adequately paid employment.
• Informal work, low wages, inadequate social security and underemployment remain concerns.
• Educated Youth Unemployment: First-time entrants, particularly graduates, often face a mismatch between qualifications and market requirements.
• Skill mismatch and lack of industry exposurerestrict employability.
• Women’s Employment: Unpaid care work, safety concerns, mobility constraints, social norms and lack of suitable local employment continue to limit women’s participation despite rising female LFPR.
• Skill–Industry Mismatch: Traditional skilling systems need stronger links with actual employer demand, apprenticeships and emerging sectors such as AI, electronics, green technologies and advanced manufacturing.
• Limited Capacity of Government Employment: Public employment remains important, but the government cannot absorb the millions entering the workforce every year.
• Private enterprise and scalable MSMEs must become major employment engines.

Related Efforts and Reforms

• Government programmes have established several building blocks for employment generation and employability:
  • Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY):
    • Promotes market-oriented skill development.
  • Apprenticeship Programmes:
    • Provide industry exposure and facilitate work-based learning.
  • MUDRA and Stand-Up India:
    • Support entrepreneurship and improve access to credit.
  • Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana:
    • Strengthens financial inclusion and access to formal financial services.
  • Start-up India:
    • Promotes innovation-driven entrepreneurship and new employment opportunities.
  • Self-Help Groups (SHGs):
    • Support women’s economic empowerment and participation in livelihoods.
  • Basic Infrastructure and Services:
    • Improvements in sanitation, clean cooking fuel, tap-water access and infrastructure can reduce women’s unpaid domestic workload and create greater opportunities for their participation in paid employment.

Way Forward: India’s Next Employment Decade

• India needs to move from an ‘employment quantity’ framework to an ‘employment quality’ framework. For this, there is a need to:
• Create a national employment dashboard tracking formalisation, real wage growth, social security coverage, hours worked, sectoral productivity and movement from low-income to stable employment.
• Make skilling demand-led and industry-linked, with apprenticeships, internships and employer-certified outcomes at its core.
• Enable MSMEs and micro-enterprises to scale, formalise and hirethrough easier compliance, credit, technology and market access.
• Make women’s employment a central policy objective through affordable childcare, safe transport, working-women’s hostels, flexible formal work, digital access and jobs closer to home.
• Strengthen public recruitment through transparent vacancy filling, examination integrity and timely results.

Conclusion

• India has developed a stronger employment foundation over the past decade through infrastructure, financial inclusion, formalisation, skilling and entrepreneurship.
• The challenge for the next decade is more demanding: converting a larger workforce into productive careers with better wages, social protection, security and opportunities for advancement.
• A sustained partnership among government, industry and educational institutions can help India transform its demographic potential into a genuine demographic dividend.

The objective should ultimately be to move from more workers to better jobs, higher productivity and inclusive prosperity.

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