Business Standard<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India’s Sustainable Agrarian Mission on Use of Agri-Residue in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH)<\/strong> is a landmark initiative designed to address the interconnected challenges of rural distress, air pollution, and the need for cleaner energy. The mission mandates a gradual increase in the co-firing of biomass pellets<\/strong> with coal in thermal power plants (TPPs), starting with a target of 5% to 7%<\/strong>. This policy not only aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions and dependency on coal but also provides a revolutionary framework for rural economic empowerment by creating a sustainable market for agricultural waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBackground of Biomass Co-firing and SAMARTH Mission<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- Crop Residue, Stubble Burning, and Pollution:<\/strong> India generates over 500 million tonnes of agricultural residues annually<\/strong>. While some of this is used productively, approximately 140 million tonnes remain surplus<\/strong>. Much of this surplus is either burned in the fields or discarded, with stubble burning in states like Punjab and Haryana accounting for up to 40% of winter air pollution episodes<\/strong> in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Government’s Earlier Efforts:<\/strong> Previous government efforts to curb stubble burning, often through fines and bans, have had limited success due to a lack of viable and financially attractive alternatives for farmers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Biomass and Bio-pellets:<\/strong>\n
\n- Biomass:<\/strong> Refers to organic materials, such as agricultural residues, which can be used as a renewable and sustainable source of energy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bio-pellets:<\/strong> Small, compressed organic materials made from various sources of biomass. These are an efficient and cost-effective green fuel source with a high calorific value.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Relevance to Net-Zero Goal:<\/strong> Converting this biomass into pellets for co-firing<\/strong> provides a viable alternative that addresses the stubble burning problem. It is a “bridge solution”<\/strong> that can reduce emissions without requiring the immediate decommissioning of coal assets, aligning with India’s net-zero target by 2070<\/strong>. The process is considered carbon neutral<\/strong>, as the next crop absorbs as much CO\u2082 as is emitted during the pellet combustion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Sustainable Agrarian Mission on Use of Agri-Residue in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH)<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Sustainable Agrarian Mission on Use of Agri-Residue in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH)<\/strong> is a landmark initiative launched by the Ministry of Power, Government of India, in July 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Mandate and Objectives:<\/strong> SAMARTH mandates the blending of 5-7% biomass pellets<\/strong> with coal in thermal power plants (TPPs). This is done to address air pollution from stubble burning, reduce carbon footprints, and empower farmers. The power generated from co-firing is considered renewable energy<\/strong> and is eligible for meeting non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Progress:<\/strong> Since its inception, SAMARTH has scaled up biomass co-firing from 0.39 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in 2019-20 to 11.16 LMT by September 2024<\/strong>. This has resulted in a reduction of 13.40 LMT of CO\u2082 emissions<\/strong> and generated 1,300 million units of electricity<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Surplus Biomass:<\/strong> The total biomass generated annually is around 754.24 million MT<\/strong>, with a surplus of 228.40 million MT<\/strong> after conventional uses. The demand for agro-residue for a 7% co-firing mandate will be around 70 million MT annually<\/strong>, which is well within the available surplus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Financial Incentives for Farmers:<\/strong> Farmers can earn an additional \u20b915,000-\u20b920,000 crore annually<\/strong> by selling agri-residue for pellet production. They also get cost savings by having their fields cleared at no cost. The government provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA)<\/strong> for pellet manufacturing units and Priority Sector Lending (PSL)<\/strong> for biomass projects through nine national banks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Analysis of the Article: Decoding the SAMARTH Mission’s Potential and Challenges<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe article positions the SAMARTH Mission as a pragmatic and inclusive solution that links rural development with India’s clean energy transition, while also identifying the key challenges that need to be addressed for its successful implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. A Bridge Solution for Energy and Environment:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- Synergy of Sustainability and Empowerment:<\/strong> The mission exemplifies the “convergence of sustainable energy solutions with rural economic empowerment”. It creates a win-win situation by providing farmers with a new revenue stream and a no-cost method to clear their fields, while simultaneously reducing stubble burning and carbon emissions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Measurable Benefits:<\/strong> The use of biomass pellets in TPPs can reduce CO\u2082 emissions by 15-20%<\/strong> for every unit of electricity generated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- International Precedents:<\/strong> Countries like the UK, Sweden, Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia<\/strong> have successfully integrated biomass co-firing as a transitional strategy, which reinforces the value of this approach and aligns it with India\u2019s energy realities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
2. Rural Economic and Social Impact:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- Income and Livelihoods:<\/strong> Farmers can earn an additional \u20b93,000-\u20b96,000 per acre<\/strong>, potentially generating \u20b96,000-\u20b924,000 crore<\/strong> in new rural revenues annually if a third of India’s surplus residue is monetized.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Employment and Entrepreneurship:<\/strong> Full-scale deployment could create over 50,000 direct jobs<\/strong>, primarily in rural and semi-rural areas, across the biomass supply chain. This also encourages small entrepreneurs to set up pellet manufacturing units.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
3. Challenges and Policy Interventions:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- Uneven Uptake:<\/strong> Uptake has been uneven due to concerns about cost, technical compatibility, and fuel supply chains<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Policy Interventions Needed:<\/strong>\n
\n- Clarity and Consistency in Procurement:<\/strong> Power plants need greater clarity in biomass procurement norms, including standardized pellet specifications, transparent price benchmarks, and reliable sourcing contracts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Capacity-Building Support:<\/strong> Small pellet manufacturers need easier access to credit, technical assistance, and logistics support to accelerate supply growth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Monitoring and Financial Incentives:<\/strong> Better monitoring and reporting mechanisms are essential. India could also align co-firing credits with carbon markets or renewable energy certificates to offer additional financial incentives for compliance and performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, the SAMARTH Mission is a well-conceived initiative that offers a powerful, inclusive, and pragmatic pathway to achieving India’s clean energy goals. By transforming agricultural waste into a valuable resource, it creates a dynamic ecosystem that benefits farmers, strengthens rural livelihoods, and significantly reduces carbon emissions. While challenges in implementation persist, thoughtful policy interventions and continued momentum could transform this mission into a cornerstone of India’s vision for a greener and more prosperous future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The SAMARTH Mission transforms farm waste into clean power, curbing pollution and empowering farmers with new income opportunities across rural India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":170421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4022],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-170401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vishleshan"],"yoast_head":"\n
Vishleshan for Regulatory Exams, 27th August 2025: SAMARTH Mission on Agri Residue Use<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"India\u2019s SAMARTH Mission turns farm stubble into green power, cutting pollution and boosting farmer incomes while driving the nation\u2019s clean energy goals.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vishleshan for Regulatory Exams, 27th August 2025: SAMARTH Mission on Agri Residue Use\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"India\u2019s SAMARTH Mission turns farm stubble into green power, cutting pollution and boosting farmer incomes while driving the nation\u2019s clean energy goals.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Practicemock\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-27T09:49:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-27T10:02:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Asad Yar Khan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Asad Yar Khan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Vishleshan for Regulatory Exams, 27th August 2025: SAMARTH Mission on Agri Residue Use","description":"India\u2019s SAMARTH Mission turns farm stubble into green power, cutting pollution and boosting farmer incomes while driving the nation\u2019s clean energy goals.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Vishleshan for Regulatory Exams, 27th August 2025: SAMARTH Mission on Agri Residue Use","og_description":"India\u2019s SAMARTH Mission turns farm stubble into green power, cutting pollution and boosting farmer incomes while driving the nation\u2019s clean energy goals.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/","og_site_name":"Practicemock","article_published_time":"2025-08-27T09:49:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-27T10:02:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Asad Yar Khan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Asad Yar Khan","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/","url":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/","name":"Vishleshan for Regulatory Exams, 27th August 2025: SAMARTH Mission on Agri Residue Use","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png","datePublished":"2025-08-27T09:49:51+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-27T10:02:34+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e4111a7164b53ee316016677ed682e00"},"description":"India\u2019s SAMARTH Mission turns farm stubble into green power, cutting pollution and boosting farmer incomes while driving the nation\u2019s clean energy goals.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png","width":1200,"height":675,"caption":"Vishleshan for Regulatory Exams, 27th August 2025"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/vishleshan-for-regulatory-exams-27th-august-2025\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Vishleshan","item":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/category\/vishleshan\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"samarth mission india"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/","name":"Practicemock","description":"Practice | Analyse | Excel","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e4111a7164b53ee316016677ed682e00","name":"Asad Yar Khan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1766f8d3c0644953da6c63e1ec69ea6432922e3d3f6cfe6ad3d7fc532ce4a66a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1766f8d3c0644953da6c63e1ec69ea6432922e3d3f6cfe6ad3d7fc532ce4a66a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Asad Yar Khan"},"description":"Asad specializes in penning and overseeing blogs on study strategies, exam techniques, and key strategies for SSC, banking, regulatory body, engineering, and other competitive exams. During his 3+ years' stint at PracticeMock, he has helped thousands of aspirants gain the confidence to achieve top results. In his free time, he either transforms into a sleep lover, devours books, or becomes an outdoor enthusiast.","url":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/author\/asad-khanpracticemock-com\/"}]}},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",1200,675,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",150,84,false],"medium":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",300,169,false],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",640,360,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",640,360,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",1200,675,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",1200,675,false],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",640,360,false],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",96,54,false],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vishleshan-for-Regulatory-Exams-27th-August-2025.png",150,84,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Asad Yar Khan","author_link":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/author\/asad-khanpracticemock-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"The SAMARTH Mission transforms farm waste into clean power, curbing pollution and empowering farmers with new income opportunities across rural India.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170401\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicemock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}