Consider the following statements : Statement-I : India, despite having uranium deposits, depends on coal for most of its electricity production. Statement-II : Uranium, enriched to the extent of at least 60%, is required for the production of electricity. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

The correct answer is Option 3: Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.

Statement-I is correct: While India possesses significant uranium deposits (notably in Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand), the domestic supply is insufficient and often low-grade. Consequently, India relies heavily on thermal power, with coal accounting for over 70% of its total electricity generation to meet the massive base-load demand.

Statement-II is incorrect: For commercial electricity production in nuclear power reactors, uranium generally needs to be enriched only to 3% to 5% (Low Enriched Uranium - LEU). Some reactors, like India’s PHWRs, even use natural uranium (0.7% U-235). Uranium enriched to 60% or more is considered High Enriched Uranium (HEU) and is typically associated with research reactors or naval propulsion; enrichment levels above 90% are required for nuclear weapons.

Thus, since Statement-I identifies a valid economic reality and Statement-II provides an incorrect technical requirement, Option 3 is the only accurate choice.