In India, cluster bean (Guar) is traditionally used as a vegetable or animal feed, but recently the

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UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2014 UPSC Prelims Current Affairs paper.

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This UPSC Prelims 2014 Current Affairs question has a medium difficulty level and is marked as an important question.

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Question

In India, cluster bean (Guar) is traditionally used as a vegetable or animal feed, but recently the cultivation of this has assumed significance. Which one of the following statements is correct in this context?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: B — The gum made from its seeds is used in the extraction of shale gasStep-by-step Solution:The cluster bean (Guar, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) assumed enormous commercial significance in the early 2010s due to the explosion of shale gas exploration and production in the United States and other countries — specifically because of the role of Guar Gum in hydraulic fracturing ('fracking').Here's the connection: Shale gas is extracted by injecting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals into shale rock formations to crack them and release natural gas. Guar gum (extracted from the seeds of the cluster bean) is a crucial ingredient in this fracking fluid: It acts as a viscosifying agent — thickening the water to carry sand grains (proppants) deep into the rock fractures; The sand holds the fractures open after the pressure is released, allowing gas to flow out; Guar gum can withstand the high temperatures and pressures in deep wells. The US shale gas boom (2010–2014) caused global demand for guar gum to skyrocket — with prices rising 10-fold. Since India produces approximately 80% of the world's guar (primarily in Rajasthan), Indian guar farmers suddenly found their crop enormously valuable. This was a major agriculture-commodity-energy connection story in the news.Key Concept: Guar crop: Predominantly grown in the arid/semi-arid regions of Rajasthan (Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur), Haryana, and Gujarat; drought-resistant legume crop that fixes nitrogen; besides shale gas, guar gum is used in: food industry (ice cream, bread thickener), textiles, paper manufacturing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, explosives. Guar gum industry: India is the world's leading producer and exporter of guar and guar gum; the guar gum price spike (2011–12) due to shale gas demand brought windfall profits to Rajasthani farmers before normalising.

In India, cluster bean (Guar) is traditionally used as a vegetable or animal feed, but recently the cultivation of this has assumed significance. Which one of the following statements is correct in this context?

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In India, cluster bean (Guar) is traditionally used as a vegetable or animal feed, but recently the cultivation of this has assumed significance. Which one of the following statements is correct in this context?

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