According to India's National Policy o Biofuels, which of the following can be used as raw materials for the production of biofuels ? 1. Cassava 2. Damaged wheat grains 3. Groundnut seeds 4. Horse gram 5. Rotten potatoes 6. Sugar beet Select the correct answer using the code given below :

The correct answer is Option 1 (1, 2, 5 and 6 only). According to the National Policy on Biofuels (2018), the government expanded the scope of raw materials for ethanol production to include items unfit for human consumption.

The policy specifically permits the use of:

• Sugarcane juice and sugar beet (sugar-containing materials).
• Cassava (tapioca) and starch-containing materials.
• Damaged food grains such as wheat, broken rice, and rotten potatoes.

Why Option 1 is correct: While Groundnut seeds (3) and Horse gram (4) are pulses/oilseeds, they are not categorized as primary raw materials for biofuels under this specific policy framework, which focuses on non-edible/damaged starch and sugar sources to ensure food security. Including pulses or edible oilseeds would directly compete with human protein and fat requirements, hence they are excluded from the list of approved feedstock for ethanol blending in this policy context.