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A Step Towards Achieving Energy Independence Recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Association of Renewable Energy of States (AREAS) and the three institutions, including the National Institute of Solar Energy, National Institute of Wind Energy and Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy, would further promote the renewable energy technologies in India. Here, the significant role of State Nodal Agencies (SNAS) in promoting renewable energy, which has turned more important, can never be ignored. If everything goes well, our country will achieve 450 GW of the installed renewable energy capacity by 2030. But it all implies that to achieve energy independence by 2047,the AREAS will have to develop a new modus operandi soon, as was emphasized by the honorable Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi, on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day. Significantly, India's total installed renewable energy capacity, apart from large hydro, has almost crossed the milestone of 100 GW. And so far as the installed Renewable Energy capacity is concerned, our country has already secured 4th position across the world as of now, besides it stands at 5th and 4th position in terms of the installed capacity of Solar and Wind energy respectively. As a result, we are successful in our mission to set an ambitious target in the area of Renewable Energy, and the concerned Ministry has also shown its commitment to achieving the target. As per the data, while 100 GW has already been installed, 50 GW is under the process of installation, and 27 GW is under tendering. Our country has also enhanced its ambition to install 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. In case major Hydro is added, the installed RE capacity will improve to 146 GW. The attainment of an installed RE capacity of 100 GW is a vital milestone in our country's journey to achieve its target of 450 GW by 2030.

Besides, the available data continued efforts by the concerned public and the private companies and the positivity of the Union Government have left no stone unturned in pushing the nation atop. In a statement post through his Twitter handle on August 12, 2021, the Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, RK Singh, had honestly said, "Today is another landmark day in the history of the Indian Power Sector.

OBSERVER DAWN MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT PRIVATE LIMITED Publisher/Printer/Editor: Dr. Hariom Tyagi Published from B-97, Sector -63, Noida-201301, U.P. Printed at Modest Print Pack Pvt. Ltd., C-52, DDA Sheds, Phase-I, Okhla Industrial Area, New Delhi-110020 www.observerdawn.com • info@observerdawn.com Contact No.: 0120-4804747

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Our installed Renewable Energy capacity has crossed 1, 00, 000 Megawatts under the visionary leadership of PM". Apart from these all, the recent virtual interaction between the Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy and the US-India Business Council (USIBC) has opened another way of development for the nations. As per its plan, it would not only get the country at the acme of success in achieving the target of renewable energy but would also enable the entire world to achieve a new dimension of conquest in the form of 'climate change.

Connect with Dr. Hariom Tyagi Dr. Hariom Tyagi Editor-in-Chief Observer Dawn

@harityagi2003

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BRIEFING COVER STORY

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INDIA'S POWER REFORMS

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLD

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NEWS With India’s largest floating solar plant, Andhra Pradesh makes its mark on the world stage

BUSINESS OUTLOOK Multi-Dimensional Growth of Indian Economy Over the Last 75 Years

TRENDS Resilience in the Indian power sector Three barriers to overcome

DAWN

September 2021

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38

BIZ TECH Private clouds: 6 reasons to use them for your business

BIZ TIPS How Your Entrepreneurial Career Will Pay Off

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SPECIAL STORY Changing India's Energy Mix to Green Energy

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Greg Kelly Protests Criminal Trail, Terms it Vague IMF Puts Embargo on Fund Access Amid Talban Turmoil

IN-DEPTH President Biden Looks at His Tenure’s First Summer Holiday

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INT'L BIZ

OPINION Allotting OBC Quota in Medical Seems a Commendable Step

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DEFENCE Indo-Australia Bilateral Relation Witnesses Fresh Dimension of Development

HEALTH ‘RachOut’ Launched to Deal With Mental Health Youngsters Resolve to Ensure Optimistic World After Pandemic September 2021

DAWN

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Power of Thoughts

DEADLY

VIRUS

NOT INFECTED BUT AFFECTED

OUTLOOK 2020

TOURS & TRAVEL

38

BIG LOSS IN MUTUAL FUND SIP? KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

INVESTMENT

DEFENCE

NEWS

WITH INDIA’S LARGEST FLOATING SOLAR PLANT, ANDHRA PRADESH MAKES ITS MARK ON THE WORLD STAGE

GAIL TO VENTURE INTO HYDROGEN PRODUCTION

W

ith its business evolving beyond natural gas to align with global energy transition, India’s largest gas company GAIL will expand hydrogen generation and scale up its renewable energy portfolio through acquisitions.

Manoj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of GAIL, noted that as part of an effort to embrace cleaner forms of energy, GAIL will build pipeline infrastructure to connect consumption centres to gas sources and also expand its renewable energy portfolio.

The global energy sector is undergoing a paradigm shift as the world moves toward a sustainable energy future, he said in the company’s latest annual report.

In order to achieve a cleaner primary energy mix for India, the government is emphasizing the expansion of the natural gas sector along with the growth of renewable power sources. As an integrated energy major, GAIL is aligned with this vision, he said.

According to him, the firm is laying around 6,000 kilometers of pipeline, including one from Mumbai to Jharsuduga in Odisha via Nagpur. Currently, it has a natural gas pipeline network of around 13,700 km.

N

ow that the state-run NTPC has commissioned the country’s largest floating solar power plant on the Simhadri coal-fired power station reservoir in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh will have India’s largest floating solar power plant available.

Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when burned in a fuel cell, only produces water. Several countries are working on hydrogen production from domestic sources such as natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, and renewable electricity sources such as solar and wind.

Since floating solar power projects do not require large swaths of non-forest, non-farming land, they are considered a game-changer in India’s effort to build 450 Gigawatts of renewable energy capacity. In addition to reducing temperature-related losses, floating solar reduces evaporation rates and maintenance costs because they float on water.

Companies such as Reliance Industries, Indian Oil Corporation, and NTPC have announced ambitious plans to generate hydrogen in India. GAIL has now been added to that list.

NTPC has installed a solar system spanning 75 acres over the Simhadri reservoir. Using more than a lakh solar PV modules, the project will provide electricity for 7,000 homes. The initiative is expected to save 46,000 tonnes of CO2 and 1,364 million litres of water each year, enough to meet the needs of 6,700 homes for one year.

As part of its goal to go green by 2032, the coalburning company will build a 60-gigawatt wind farm.

Additionally, the project is the first under the power ministry’s 2018 ‘flexibility programme,’ which can deliver power from any of their sources as long as it is efficient, reducing discoms’ costs.

NTPC is also constructing a 100 MW floating solar power plant in Tamil Nadu on the reservoir of its Ramagundam thermal power plant. With NHPC’s help, the Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd has investigated, planned, and built a total of 500 MW of floating solar power projects on the state’s reservoirs.

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September 2021

GAIL has partnered with the state-run power equipment maker BHEL in its renewable energy venture. The tie-up aims to take advantage of the strengths of both companies. The project developer will be GAIL, while BHEL will be the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor.

With a market share of 75 per cent in transmission and 50 per cent in energy trading, GAIL’s move is seen as part of the government’s plan to increase the share of gas in the energy mix in India to 15 per cent by 2030 from the current 6.2 per cent.

NEWS

average. Among the nation’s Nationally Determined Contributions, India has met its targets for generating electricity from non-fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions.

There are currently 100 GW installed, 50 GW under construction, and 27 GW under the tender. The country has also increased its ambition to achieve 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030. If large hydropower is included, installed capacity increases to 146 GW, according to the statement.

INDIA CROSSES THE 100 GW MARK IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

I

ndian efforts in renewable energy have yielded results, with the country ’s installed renewable energy capacity crossing the 100 gigawatts (GW) milestone.

With 383.73 GW of total installed power generation capacity, this issue assumes significance. Although India has resisted declaring a net-zero emission goal and calling out nations for their carbon neutral announcements, its green energy trajectory has been on an upward trend.

“India is currently ranked 4th in terms of installed RE capacity, 5th in solar and 4th in wind power,” the power ministry said in a statement.

As India’s electricity demand grows, investors’ interest continues unabated in

the country’s green economy. The largest clean energy programme in the world is being run by India. India’s push for green energy sources was reaffirmed on 27 July when solar and wind generation reached an all-time high of 43.1GW. This is another milestone in the history of India’s energy sector. Currently, we have 1,00,000 Gigawatts of installed renewable energy (excluding large hydroelectric).

Our country will continue to lead in energy transition under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said union minister for power and renewable energy, Raj Kumar Singh.

India has been increasing its green portfolio despite emitting one-third of its per capita emissions as compared to the world

Earlier this year, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that extreme weather events would impact lives, livelihoods and businesses in India and South Asia.

To reduce pollution and facilitate COP-21 commitments, India has been working on several measures, including clean electricity, ethanol blending with fossil fuels, green mobility, battery storage, and green hydrogen.

As part of its commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which 195 countries adopted in 2015, India plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 33-35 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 and meet 40 per cent of its electricity needs from non-fossil fuel sources by then.

POWER SECTOR GETS FUEL FROM COAL INDIA AT 166 MT

T

he offtake of coal to power plants jumped sharply to 166.3 MT from April-July as the country’s power consumption approached pre-pandemic levels.

In July, CIL sold 39 metric tons of coal to the power sector, compared with 33.3 metric tons a year ago.

CIL posted the highest coal off-take, production, and Over Burden Removal (OBR) for July of any year since its inception 46 years ago, increasing by 16.7 per cent, 14.1 per cent, and 3.6 per cent, respectively.

Compared to the year-ago period, the company’s total coal off-take also increased by 46.7 MT in the first four months of the current fiscal year. The total volume of coal supplied in April-July was 210.8 MT, up from 164 MT a year ago.

Total supplies at 50.5 MT increased by 7.2 MT in a month.

Compared to the off-take of 43.3 MT in July’20, the increase is 16.7 per cent.

The coal supply of CIL accounted for about three-fourths of the country’s total coal-based power generation in July, which was 82.119 billion units.

In July, the state-owned company produced 42.6 MT, compared to 37.3 MT last year. As a result of the double-digit growth in July, the company’s progressive production growth reached 5.2 per cent at the end of the month.

In the April-July period of the previous fiscal year, CIL produced 166.6 metric tons of coal, compared with 158.4 metric tons. About 80 per cent of the coal produced domestically comes from CIL.

September 2021

DAWN

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BUSINESS OUTLOOK

MULTI-DIMENSIONAL GROWTH OF INDIAN ECONOMY OVER THE LAST 75 YEARS

O

n August 15, 2021, our country has entered into the 75th year of its Independence. The Union Government had in March this year, announced Amrut Mahotsav. This is a two-year-long countrywide initiative to remember the milestone. The country’s economic journey since 1947 has witnessed its vast share of ups and downs. Gone are the days when our country was termed as a ‘third world country’, a term often used for poor developing nation-states that has now fallen into neglect, our country is now among the biggest economies of the world.

Although, there is still a long journey to cover up for India, but its achievement as of now cannot be ignored.

The economic journey of India may be summarized as follows: Gross Domestic Product: Our Country’s GDP stood at INR 2.7 lakh crore at Independence. Almost 74 years on, it has reached INR 135.13 lakh crore. India is now the 6th largest economy in the world and is on its way to becoming the third-largest by 2031, as per Bank of America. An omissible fact is that there has been a 10- fold increase in the GDP since the reform process began in 1991.

In Independent India, the Indian Railways has focused on unifying all rail gauges, electrification of railway lines and connecting northeast India to the mainland

US dollar to Rupee: Contrary to a popular 2013 forward which had pegged USD1 to INR 1, a US dollar was equal to INR 3.30 in 1947. Notably, India’s rupee was pegged to the UK Pound Sterling, not the US Dollar.

In August 2021, USD1 is equal to INR 74.

Food Production: Achieving “selfsufficiency ” in food grains has been Independent India’s biggest achievement.

From receiving food aid in the 1950s and 1960s to becoming a net exporter, India has seen a turnaround in food production.

The total food production, which stood at 54.92 million tonnes in 1950, rose to 305.44 million FOREX in 2020-21.

OREX: India’s FOREX reserves (In foreign currencies and other assets like gold) stood at a meager INR 1,029 crore in 1950-51.

In fact, India’s low forex reserves played the catalytically role in kick starting the economic reforms. With just USD1.2 billion worth of forex reserves in 1991, India just had enough reserves to finance 3 weeks of imports. Three decades since the reform process began, The FOREX reserves of the country now stand at INR 46.17 lakh

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crore – Fifth largest in the world.

Indian Railways: India already possessed one of the biggest railway lines in the early years of Independence. In Independent India, the Indian Railways has focused on unifying all rail gauges, electrification of railway lines and connecting northeast India to the mainland. Moreover, the railway line has expanded by over 14,000 kilometers, reaching 67,956 kilometers in route length by 2020.

Access to Electricity: Providing rural India with access to electricity has been one of the goals of India’s socio-economic policymaking. According to the Ministry

September 2021

of Power, only 3,061 villages had access to electricity in 1950. In 2018, the Indian government announced that all of India’s villages – 5,97,464 in total – had been electrified. However, given the criteria to declare a village electrified – 10 per cent of households in a village having access to electricity, there are millions who still live without electricity.

Foreign Direct Investment: In the pre-liberalized ‘license raj’ India, foreign investment was limited if not non-existent.

In 1948, the total foreign investment in India stood at INR 256 crore. However, since the 1991 liberalisation, FDI has become the buzzword of India’s economic story.

In 2020-21, India received a record USD 81.72 billion in Foreign Direct Investment.

Ro a d w a y s : Roads have expanded exponentially in the last 75 years. In 1950, as per government figures, India only had 0.4 million kilometres of roadways, which has grown to 6.4 million kilometres in 2021.

This is a 16-fold rise in the total length of roadways, making India’s road network the second largest in the world.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

UNION GOVT PLANS TO INSERT G-SEC IN GLOBAL BOND INDICES Reserve Bank of India had on March 30, 2021 notified a completely reachable route for investment by non-residents in government securities without any ceilings.

T

he Union Government has planned to start trade and settlement of debt securities on the global Euroclear platform. This is being considered as a significant move that will make the way easier for insertion of G-sec in global bond indices in days to come. When asked, a senior authority from the Union Finance Ministry said, “Most of the bond platform needs have been met and we have made all arrangements. If everything goes well, it must open another channel to attract overseas capital in Indian debt markets”.

Issues related to taxation like: the exemption from capital gains on the international transactions has been cordially dealt with. the authority added, “The business tycoons and experts believes that at their next review of index constituents, entities like JP Morgan and Barclays must be able to take in Indian gilts in their indices, giving access to investors to participate in our market”.

The plan to list a set of government securities in global bond indices has been in the works for many years now. In the Union budget 2014-2015, the then Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, had proposed the allowing of international settlement of Indian debt securities, as it was supposed to result in a decrease in bond yields and a growth in liquidity in domestic bond markets. India’s Union Budget 2020-21 had planned to take away limit on foreign investment in some government securities, as a first step towards their inclusion in global bond indices. Consequently, the

Consequently, the Reserve Bank of India had on March 30, 2021 notified a completely reachable route for investment by non-residents in government securities without any ceilings

The RBI, in coordination with the Union Finance Ministry, has planned to put caps on the amount of particular securities.

These would be allowed to be traded on the Euroclear platform under the fully reachable route.

As the financial shortfall increasing sharply after the deadly coronavirus hit the world economy, the additional sources of funding into government debt market are expected to aid the Union Government’s increased borrowing program of more than Rs 12 lakh crore every year. The Reserve Bank of India’s Financial Markets Regulation Department that is somehow responsible for the development & regulation and surveillance of G-secs market has created a scaffold for global settlement of gilts. It will permit the foreign investors to put money in government debt papers without the requirement of registration as FPIs. During the month of July 2021, the RBI launched a scheme permitting the domestic retail investors to directly participate in the G-sec market. They can open and maintain a ‘Retail Direct Gilt Account’ with the RBI through a portal that can also offer access to primary issuance of G-Secs and the secondary market as well.

Insertion in bond indices, along with these measures, is mainly focused on supporting the borrowing program of government. The Financial Markets Regulation Department of the RBI, which is entrusted with the development and regulation and surveillance of G-secs market, has created a framework for international settlement of gilts. This would allow overseas investors to put money in government debt papers without the need to register as FPIs. In an annual report released by the India’s central bank on May 27, 2021, it has said, “The Department initiated the process of international settlement of Indian government securities through International Central Securities Depository (ICSD) in consultation with the Government of India, ICSDs and other stakeholders. Clients of ICSDs would be able to invest in Indian G-sec without registering themselves as foreign portfolio investors.

September 2021

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BUSINESS OUTLOOK

OMCS MAINTAIN BENEFITS, AMID FALL IN GLOBAL CRUDE OIL PRICES

P

etrol and diesel prices, despite being at the record high levels across the country, the international crude oil has gone down by 13.9 per cent right from the beginning of August 2021. Sources revealed that the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) could be maintaining portion of the benefit from the fall in global prices to compensate for under recoveries during recent periods.

The Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, ruled out minimizing Central taxes on petrol and diesel, referred to the economic burden of having to pay interest payments on oil bonds issued to OMCs for earlier under recoveries by the Congress-led UPA government. An unpredicted build-up of fuel catalogs in the United States and concerns about the spread of the Delta variant pushed Brent crude to $65.63/ barrel on August 20, 2021, its lowest level since May this year. A Public Sector OMC authority said, “Under recoveries initially, like state elections as increased prices were held back, is likely the reason that OMCs are being slow in passing on the benefit of lower global prices to consumers”. Practically, the full impact of changes to crude oil prices is often seen with a lag as domestic rates are benchmarked to a 15-day rolling average of global prices of petrol and diesel. Industry sources said the full impact of lower global prices would be felt sooner in diesel than petrol as under recoveries for the former were significantly lower than the latter, and were likely to be recouped soon if the current trend of low prices continues. The analysts highlighted that with no excise duty cut expected and OMCs withholding portion of the benefit of lower global prices, consumers would only benefit from lower fuel prices if crude oil prices continued

Practically, the full impact of changes to crude oil prices is often seen with a lag as domestic rates are benchmarked to a 15-day rolling average of global prices of petrol and diesel

to remain at lower levels for a sustained period. Even though the prices of petrol and diesel are deregulated and can be revised daily, OMCs had, in March and April 2021, stopped hikes as a number of states had on electoral processes. The OMCs had also held prices constant for over 80 days from March 16, 2020 as crude fell stridently because of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. “The analysts asserted said the decision to hold prices steady, during the period when crude touched lows of around $20/barrel, led to far higher marketing margins for OMCs during the financial year 2021. The OMCs have also held the price of petrol constant for the past 34 days and cut the price of diesel by about 60 paise/lt over the past three days after holding steady for 33 days.

Petrol is retailing at Rs 101.8/lt in the Capital, while diesel was at Rs 89.27. Growing crude prices, coupled with high taxes on fuel, have led to a 21.7 per cent increase in the pump price of petrol and a 20.8 per cent jump in diesel from the beginning of the year.

Growing taxes on petrol and diesel have also been key contributors to record high prices. During 2020, the Union government

hiked Central levies by Rs 13/ lt on petrol and Rs 16 on diesel to shore up revenues as Coronavirus caused a sharp fall in financial functioning. One, Vivekanand Subbaraman, an analyst at Ambit Capital said, “The Union government is willing to make sure that the earnings of the OMCs are protected as they are key investors in important infrastructure like: pipelines, fresh refineries and LPG infrastructure”. Subbaraman also said that margins for the OMCs were increasing steadily over the past few years as their profits were rising even though their sales volumes had remained relatively stable. Besides few others, the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

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September 2021

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

SC DENIES AIRTEL’S PLEA, DIRECTS TELECOM MAJOR TO APPROACH TDSAT

T

he Apex Court had on August 24, 2021 asked Department of Telecommunications (DoT) not to invoke the bank guarantees of Bharti Airtel for three weeks so as to recover a sum of INR 1,376 crore in AGR-related dues of Videocon Telecom Ltd that had sold its spectrum to the Bharti group. The SC denied to entertain on the plea of Airtel that VTL dues are not payable by it and directed the telecom major to approach the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) with the complaint.

A Supreme Court bench comprising justices, L Nageswara Rao, S Abdul Nazeer and M R Shah, said in its order, “The DoT shall not invoke the bank guarantee of Bharti Airtel for the period of three weeks from August 24, 2021”. In the beginning, the bench made clarified the counsel appearing for Airtel that it would not obstruct the earlier judgment.

The bench stressed, "We are already clarified that that we will not interfere with the judgment and we will give you the liberty to withdraw to approach the appropriate forum”. The bench also highlighted that the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Department of Telecom, that the DoT would be permitted to raise all the grounds including the objection to the jurisdiction, if any, before the forum to be chosen Airtel.

Airtel said that the DoT had on August 17, 2021 directed it to pay AGR related dues of VTL within a week, failing which the BGs.

Divan referred to the various documents including the spectrum trading directions and added that the dues arising from the Adjusted Gross Revenue of VTL, the seller of the spectrum - were known during the sale and therefore the seller and not the buyer can be fastened with the liability to pay. The bench headed by Justice, L Nageswara Rao, while pronouncing the order said, “All the miscellaneous applications are dismissed”.

The telecom companies had submitted before the top court that arithmetical errors in the calculation be rectified and there are cases of duplication of entries.

The top court, which had held that demand raised by the DoT in respect of AGR dues will be final, had said there shall be no dispute raised by the telcos and there shall not be any reassessment.

The VTL had sold its spectrum to Bharti Airtel in the pursuance of agreements entered into them in 2016. The Bharti group has already paid INR 18,004 crore in AGRrelated dues to DoT by March 31, 2021 which is much more than 10 per cent of its total AGR dues of over INR 43,000 crore, he said. In its September 2020 order, the Apex Court had said that telecom operators should make the payment of 10 per cent of the total dues as demanded by the DoT by March 31, 2021 and the rest be paid through annual installments from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2031.

Divan argued that Airtel should not be proceeded against without being granted a reasonable opportunity to raise the grievances before an appropriate forum. The bench then suggested the DoT saying, "We will permit him to take out and go before the TDSAT and hold your hand for 2-3 weeks”.

The SC had on July 23, this year, rejected the applications filed by telecom majors, including Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel.

The Court had sought rectification of the alleged errors in computation of AGR related dues payable by them. The telecom companies had submitted before the top court that arithmetical errors in the calculation be rectified and there are cases of duplication of entries. The SC had in September 2020 given a time period of 10 years to telecom service providers struggling to pay INR 93,520 crore of AGR related dues to clear their outstanding amount to the government.

The top court, which had held that demand raised by the DoT in respect of AGR dues will be final, had said there shall be no dispute raised by the telcos and there shall not be any re-assessment. The top court had in October 2019 delivered its verdict on the AGR issue. The DoT had in, March 2020, moved a plea in the top court in which it had sought permission for allowing staggered payment of the dues by telcos over a period of 20 years.

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INDIA'S POWER REFORMS

T

he Power sector of Indian has witnessed a major transformation in terms of power supply, demand of energy, fuel mix and operations of market. The country now turned to be the third-largest power generating nation in the world. The total installed capacity in the country has grown up at an outstanding pace of 7.96 per cent during the financial years 2010 to the period of the financial year 2020. Our country had a total installed capacity of 375.32 GW till December 31, 2020 and hence jumping from a power-deficit country to a country with surplus power. In India, the power sector has been characterized through its broaden fuel sources that comprise of ecologically sustainable sources like: solar, wind, and small hydro plants, along with conventional sources like coal, oil, and gas. As per the data, the thermal power was the predominant type of installed capacity in India and it is responsible for almost 62.31 per cent share of the entire installed capacity in the financial year 2020. The launching of enormous Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) based on thermal power

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attributed to the largest share of thermal power in the energy mix of the country. The renewable energy was the second-leading energy source in India, capturing 23.51 per cent of the total installed capacity in India in FY 2020. The Government of India’s promising target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy, capacity attached with the establishment of solar parks & the solar city program pushed the growth of clean energy in India. In addition, the financial incentives provided by the government are likely to encourage state-owned operators to invest in Clean Energy Parks and Ultra-Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs).

Growing demand from the industrial and domestic classes has been the significant driving issue for the growth of the power sector of India. The industrial sector of the country extended enormously in the past few years. It has been noticed by the constant increase in the index of industrial production (IIP) for the electricity domain from 126.6 in the financial year 2015 to 158.4 in the financial year 2020. According to

COVER STORY

SOME OF THE IMPORTANT SECTOR COMPANIES OF INDIA ARE AS FOLLOWS: ADANI POWER LIMITED CESC LIMITED NHPC LIMITED NTPC LIMITED SJVN LIMITED SUZLON ENERGY TATA POWER LIMITED DAMODAR VALLEY CORPORATION (DVC) WEBSOL ENERGY SYSTEM LIMITED AND NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION OF INDIA LIMITED (NPCIL)

Growing demand from the industrial and domestic classes has been the significant driving issue for the growth of the power sector of India

the report, the industries have been the largest power consumer across the country and this is responsible for about 42.69 per cent of the total power consumption in the financial year 2020. Besides, the consumption from the domestic sector grew at a fast pace of 7.96 per cent from financial year 2010 to the financial year 2020.

Significant development in access to electricity a surge in the sale of white goods, and higher demand for LED bulbs have driven demand from the domestic sector. In addition, supportive government policies like: UDAY 2.0, 24x7 - Power for All, Subhagya, Ujala Scheme, Green Energy Corridor and vehicle electrification have helped to boost the Indian power sector. The limited supply of raw material poses a substantial challenge to the Indian power sector. Market players have been under pressure to acquire raw material for power generation owing to the erratic domestic supply of coal, fluctuations in international coal prices, and shortage of natural gas.

In addition, the weak infrastructure of the transmission and distribution (T&D) system leads to transmission and distribution losses (T&D losses) that affect the power sector. The T&D loss in India is around 20 per cent, significantly higher than in other Asian countries. The thermal power sector has been experiencing challenges in recent years, owing to its environmental impact, tariff structure, and difficulty in acquiring power purchase agreements (PPA). But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth rate of the Country’s power sector was hindered with the beginning of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown measures.

The shutdown of industrial activities as an effect of the lockdown announced on March 25, 2020, led to a widespread fall in power consumption in the industrial and commercial sectors. The vertical decline in demand, coupled with a liquidity crunch, has crippled the financials of power generating and power distribution companies. The unprecedented impact of the pandemic has highlighted the need for structural changes in the industry. As such the sudden crisis taught a big lesson to the concerned companies and ushered in policy reforms, boost private sector participation, lead to a focus on an efficient power trading system, bring in investments for infrastructure development, and most importantly, eased digital transformation.

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COVER STORY

RENEWABLE ENERGY

PLAYS PIVOTAL ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE

FINANCIAL GROWTH

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he main reason behind installing renewable energy in the country is enhance economic growth and development, increasing energy security, strengthen access to energy and alleviate climate change. Sustainable growth and development could be possible through sustainable energy and by ensuring access to reasonable, consistent, sustainable and latest energy system for citizens.

Healthy government support & the growing opportunities to enhance financial scenario have pushed India to be one of the top leaders in the most attractive renewable energy markets of the world.

The government has designed policies, programs and a moderate environment to attract foreign investments to ramp up the country in the renewable energy market at a rapid rate. It is predictable that the renewable energy sector can create a large number of domestic jobs over the following years. This paper aims to present major achievements, prospects, projections, generation of electricity, as well as challenges and investment and employment opportunities due to the development of renewable energy in India.

Here, we have identified multiple of obstacles faced by the renewable sector.

The recommendations based on the review outcomes will offer helpful information for policymakers, innovators, project developers, investors, industries, associated stakeholders and departments, researchers, and scientists. The various sources of electricity production like: coal, oil, and natural gas have contributed to one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is important to raise the standard of living by offering cleaner and more reliable electricity. Our country has widespread energy demand to accomplish the financial development plans that are being executed.

The National Electricity Plan framed by the Ministry of Power was coined with the objective to provide electricity across the country and has prepared a further plan to make sure that power is supplied to the citizens efficiently and at a reasonable cost.

As per the World Resource Institute Report 2017, India is responsible for almost 6.65 per cent of total global carbon emissions, ranked fourth next to China (26.83 per cent), the USA (14.36 per cent), and the EU (9.66 per cent). Climate change could also change the ecological balance in the world. Intended Nationally Determined

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Contributions have been submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. The latter has hoped to achieve the goal of limiting the rise in global temperature to well below 2 °C. As per the World Energy Council forecast, global electricity demand will peak in 2030. Our nation would emerge as one of the largest coal consumers in the world and imports costly fossil fuel. Almost 74 per cent of the energy demand is supplied by coal and oil. According to a report from the Center for monitoring Indian economy, the country imported 171 million tons of coal in 2013–2014, 215 million tons in 2014–2015, 207 million tons in 2015–2016, 195 million tons in 2016–2017, and 213 million tons in 2017–2018.

cheaper. India is planning to attain 175 GW of renewable energy which would consist of 100 GW from solar energy, 10 GW from biopower, 60 GW from wind power and 5 GW from small hydropower plants by the year 2022. Investors have promised to achieve more than 270 GW, which is significantly above the ambitious targets. The promises are as follows: 58 GW by foreign companies, 191 GW by private companies, 18 GW by private sectors, and 5 GW by the Indian Railways. Earlier estimates show that in 2047, solar potential will be more than 750 GW and wind potential will be 410 GW. In a view to reach the ambitious targets of generating 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, it is essential that the government creates 330,000 new jobs and livelihood opportunities. A combination of push & pull policies, with specific strategies can promote the growth of renewable energy technologies.

Improvement in technology, proper regulatory policies, tax deduction, and efforts in the growth of competence due to research and development are among the few pathways to conservation

The government has designed policies, programs and a moderate environment to attract foreign investments to ramp up the country in the renewable energy market at a rapid rate.

As such, India will have a speedy and global transition to renewable energy technologies to attain sustainable growth and avoid catastrophic climate change.

Renewable energy sources play a vital role in securing sustainable energy with lower emissions. This is often expected that renewable energy technologies could immensely cover the electricity demand and reduce emissions. Recently, the country has developed a sustainable path for its energy supply. Awareness of saving energy has been promoted among citizens to augment the use of solar, wind, biomass, waste and hydropower energies. It is evident that clean energy is less harmful and often

September 2021

of energy and environment which can promise that renewable resource bases are used in a cost-effective and quick manner. Hence, strategies to promote investment opportunities in the renewable energy sector along with jobs for the unskilled workers, technicians and contractors must be taken in priority.

Growth of renewable technology has come across stiff obstacles and hence, there is a need to discuss these barriers.

In addition, it would be also important to discover possible solutions to conquer these barriers and hence proper recommendations are suggested for the solid growth of renewable power.

COVER STORY

India All Set to Meet Climate Goals Meanwhile, PM Modi set the country a target for 100th year of Independence in 2047. “The 100th year of freedom from British rule must achieve self-reliance in energy production”, PM said, India is the only country among the G-20 nations that is on the path of meeting its climate goals.

ENERGY SECURITY REMAINS IN

‘FOREFRONT’

OF PM’S INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH

From the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in Delhi, Modi also announced the BJP Government's decision to set up the National Hydrogen Mission, with an aim for India to become a fresh global hub and the renowned exporter of green hydrogen. He said that not only would green hydrogen be the basis of green growth through green jobs but it would also set an example for the world towards clean energy transition. “When our country will observe its 100th Independence day, it would certainly achieve self-reliance in energy production

W

ith the entire nation celebrating 75th Independence Day on August 15, 2021, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, hoisted the national flag and addressed the country on various burning and relevant issues including COVID-19, climate change, national education policy, agricultural reforms and many others.

The theme of India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, from where PM Modi addressed the nation was the ‘Nation First, Always First’. All the Olympians who won medals at the 2020 Tokyo Games were sent been sent special invitations for the event. PM Modi said that in the 21st century no one could stop the development of India and the actual strength of all Indians lie in their striving capacity, unity and keeping the country atop. PM Modi continues, "Sri Aurobindo used to say that we must be more strong than before, change our habits, and with a new heart we must kindle our consciousness. This recalls us to what we also owe to our country”. PM said, rights are important, but now duties must be prioritized, and every citizen must own this sense of duty.

He said that he believed in the power of youth and that when 2047 comes around, whoever will be the Prime Minister then would mention the achievements of the resolve that we made today. Calling for Environmental Security, PM Modi admitted that India was not energy independent and often spent over INR 12 lakh crores annually for energy requirements. He also asserted that the country must resolve to make India energy independent. He added, "Our vehicle scrap policy is important in this direction, and among G-20 economies, India is one of the few who are speeding towards their climate protection goals”.

He said that a green hydrogen sector would give us a quantum jump in climate goals.

He declared a National Hydrogen Mission for making India a hub for production and export of green hydrogen.

PM Modi stressed, it would be the base of green growth via green jobs. Just like After the World War II, there was a change in the world order, after COVID-19 too, such a change in the world is likely. “The ease of living, ease of doing business are both important, and that labor codes, tax compliance have been simplified”, PM Modi said.He says that income support for farmers is underway, and upto INR 2 lakh crore has been transferred so far.

PM calls for the strengthening of the co-operative movement. He says that capitalism, communism are all discussions in economics of the country, but, "In India cooperative movement is important. Cooperatives are a spirit, a set of values, and collective will”. He says that this movement needs to be strengthened and a separate ministry has been created for this purpose.

through a mix of electric mobility, gasbased economy, doping ethanol in petrol to make the country a hub for hydrogen production”, PM Modi stressed.

The roadmap for that is to increase usage of natural gas in the economy, setting up a network of CNG and piped natural gas networks across India, blending 20 per cent ethanol in petrol and electric mobility.

“Our country has already achieved a milestone of 100 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity ahead of the target of 450 gigawatts by 2030, the Prime Minister said adding that the entire world believed in India's leadership, particularly in environmental issues and International Solar Alliance. He also said the country aims to become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030.

“Our actions today will determine our future. Our today will set the theme of our 100 years of India's Independence”, PM Modi said while concluding his speech.

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RECENT POLICY ON BIO-FUELS

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he overall growth and developments in modern era have created an opportunity for a steady change in the utilization of Bio-energy. In May 2018, the MNRE amended the incumbent policy for Biomass. This policy showed the CFA for projects using Biomass like: agriculturebased industrial residues, wood produced through energy plantations, bagasse, crop residues, wood waste generated from industrial operations, and weeds. Under the purview of this policy, the CFA will be offered to the projects at the rate of INR 2.5 million per MW for bagasse cogeneration and INR 5 million per MW for non-bagasse cogeneration.

A program to encourage the promotion of Biomassbased cogeneration in sugar mills and other industries was also launched in May 2018

The MNRE also announced a memorandum in November 2018 considering the continuation of the concessional customs duty certificate to set up projects for the production of energy using nonconventional materials such as Biowaste, agricultural, forestry, poultry litter, agro-industrial, industrial, municipal, and urban wastes. The union government in recent times established the National policy on Bio-fuels in August 2018. A program to encourage the promotion of Biomass-based cogeneration in sugar mills and other industries was also launched in May 2018.

plants but resulted in 0.15 lakh. In this way, the cost of refilling the gas cylinders with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was greatly reduced. Likewise, tons timbers were protected from being axed, as wood is traditionally used as a fuel in rural and semi-urban households. Biogas is a viable alternative to traditional cooking fuels.

The scheme generated employment for almost 300 skilled laborers for setting up the Biogas plants.

The National Biogas and manure management program was unveiled in 2012–2013. The main focus was to offer a clean gaseous fuel for cooking, where the remaining slurry was organic Bio-manure which is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Further, 47.5 lakh cumulative Biogas plants were completed in 2014, and increased to 49.8 lakh. During 2017–2018, the target was to establish 1.10 lakh Biogas

By 30th of May 2018, the Ministry had issued guiding principles for the implementation of the NNBOMP during the period 2017–2018 to 2019–2020. The program deals with the energy demand through the consumption of solar lanterns, solar streetlights, solar home lights, and solar pumps. The plan intended to reach 118 MWp of off-grid PV capacity by 2020. The sanctioning target proposed outlay was 50 MWp by 2017–2018 and 68

GLOBAL UTILIZATIONS OF PRIMARY ENERGY

S

ources of energy are often considered as one of the most important elements for socioeconomic development of a country.

The growing economic conditions over the past few decades have mainly been witnessed among the developing countries and it has caused an accelerated development in energy consumption. It is expected to grow vastly in days to come. Significant forecast of future power consumption

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MWp by 2019–2020. The total estimated cost amounted to INR 1895 crore and the ministry wanted to support 637 crores by its central economic assistance. Solar power plants with a 25 KWp size were promoted in those areas where grid power does not reach households or is not reliable. Normally, the public service institutions, schools, panchayats, hostels, as well as police stations will benefit from this scheme. Solar study lamps were also comprised a component in the program.

Almost 30 per cent of financial assistance was given to solar power plants. Every student should bear 15 per cent of the cost of lamp, and the ministry wanted to support the remaining 85 per cent. Lantern and lamps of more than 40 Lakhs home lights of 16.72 lakhs number, street lights of 6.40 lakhs, solar pumps of 1.96 lakhs and 187.99 MWp stand-alone equipments were installed.

in days to come is important for the investigation of sufficient environmental and economic policies in the same way, viewpoint on future power consumption helps to decide future investments in renewable energy.

The supplies of energy and security have not only grown up the essential issues for the development of human society but also for their worldwide political and economic patterns.

As such, proper measurement of global consumptions may help us to understand the present, past and future consumptions of power.

COVER STORY

CONTRIBUTIONS OF RENEWABLE SOURCES & ENERGY GENERATIONS

D

espite, we have achieved speedy and considerable economic growth, the country is still facing scarce of energy. Country’s strong economic growth is increasing the demand for energy and more energy sources are needed to fulfill the demand. Meanwhile, due to the growing population and environmental deterioration, the country faces the challenge of sustainable development. The gap between demand and supply of power is supposed to grow in days to come.

The average power generation in the country has grown exponentially. Between 2014–2015 and 2015–2016, it achieved 1110.458 BU and 1173.603 BU, respectively.

The same was recorded with 1241.689 BU and 1306.614 BU during 2015–2016 and 1306.614 BU from 2016–2017 and 2017– 2018, respectively. The rise accounted for 6.47 per cent in 2015–2016 and 24.88 per cent in 2017–2018, respectively.

Remarkably, the energy generation from conventional sources reached 811.143 BU and from renewable sources 9.860 BU in 2010 compared to 1.206.306 BU and 88.945 BU in 2017, respectively. It is observed that the price of electricity production using renewable technologies is higher than that for conventional generation technologies, but is likely to fall with increasing experience in the techniques involved. According to the estimation of gross electricity generation

from renewable energy based on NITI Aayog Report 2015, the share of renewable power will be 10.2 per cent by 2022, but renewable power technologies contributed a record of 13.4 per cent to the cumulative power production in India as of the 31st of August 2018.

On the other hands, the power ministry report shows that India generated 122.10 TWh and out of the total electricity produced, renewable generated 16.30 TWh as on the 31st of August 2018. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation report, it is anticipated that by the year 2040, around 49 per cent of total electricity will be produced using renewable energy.

POSSIBLE CONSUMPTIONS DURING 1990 – 2040

R

eports suggest that an estimation of an energy consumption of global level basically shows that energy consumption in India is regularly rising and is likely to hold its position even in 2035/2040. Abrupt growth in the energy consumption of the country would push its share of global energy demand to 11 per cent by 2040 from 5 per cent in 2016. The rising economies of the world like: China, India or Brazil have witnessed a process of speedy industrialization. These nations have also have increased their share in the global market. Besides, they are exporting huge volumes of manufactured products to developed countries. Basically demands of energy any country depends of the size and growth of its population. With respect to populations growth our country has

been ranked second as of January 2019.

The annual growth rate is 1.18 per cent and represents almost 17.74 per cent of the world’s population. This is supposed to have more than 1.383 billion, 1.512 billion, 1.605 billion, 1.658 billion people by the end of 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050, respectively. As per data, India adds a higher number of people to the world than any other nations every year. Its growth of energy consumption is likely to be the fastest among all major economic players by 2040. As coal meets most of this demand followed by renewable energy, it turns to be the second most significant source of domestic power production, overtaking gas and then oil, by 2020. The demand for renewable in India will have a significant growth of 256 Mtoe in 2040.

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COVER STORY

RECENT GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

O

ur country has conducted a significant journey in renewable energy over the past 4 years.

The growing financial structure and technological advancements have helped India in the promotion of renewable energy and diversification of its energy. The nation is now engaged in expanding the use of clean energy sources and has already undertaken several large-scale sustainable energy projects to ascertain a massive growth of green energy.

Our country has multiplied its renewable power capacity in the last 4 years. The cumulative renewable power capacity in 2013–2014 reached 35,500 MW and rose to 70,000 MW in 2017–2018. It stands in the fourth and sixth position regarding the cumulative installed capacity in the wind and solar sector, respectively. Furthermore, its cumulative installed renewable capacity

stands in fifth position globally as of the 31st of December 2018. As per the report, the cumulative renewable energy capacity target for 2022 is given as 175 GW. For 2017–2018, the cumulative installed capacity amounted to 70 GW, the capacity under implementation is 15 GW and the

INDIA ATTAINS EMISSION REDUCTION LEVELS OF 28 PER CENT, AGAINST TARGET OF 35 PER CENT BY 2030

O

ur country has already attained emission reduction of 28 per cent over 2005 levels as against the target of 35 per cent by 2030, committed in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). It has brought our nation among one of the few countries globally that has kept to its Paris Climate Change (COP21) commitments along with an exponential increase in renewable energy capacity.

Taking a view of the pace of growth in the energy sector, India is firm not only to attain, but also to exceed its NDC commitments well within the committed time frame.

These were asserted by the Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy and President of International Solar Alliance, RK Singh, during his keynote address at the ‘INDIA-ISA Energy Transition Dialogue 2021’. The program was organized by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India in New Delhi on August 24, 2021. While, the opening remarks were passed by Secretary, MNRE, Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi, the context setting was conducted by the Director General, ISA, Dr. Ajay Mathur, during this inaugural session.

“The Government of India has enacted

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favorable polices and regulations to boost the clean energy sector from time-to-time.

India has been aggressively pushing for energy efficiency improvements for the past two decades through a combination of innovative market mechanisms and business models, institutional strengthening and capacity building, as well as demand creation measures”, the Union Minister said. He further added that the key is to

Taking a view of the pace of growth in the energy sector, India is firm not only to attain, but also to exceed its NDC commitments well within the committed time frame

September 2021

tendered capacity was 25 GW. There is tremendous growth in solar power. The cumulative installed solar capacity increased by more than eight times in the last 4 years from 2.630 GW to 22 GW. As of the 31st of December 2018, the installed capacity amounted to 25.2122 GW.

allow the regulatory and policy support to keep the sector afloat till the supply-side strengthens, technology develops and competitive market takes root resulting in a fall in prices, and the industry becomes self-sustainable. He said that it is anticipated that by 2050, 80-85 per cent of India’s overall power capacity will come from renewable. India has already touched 200 GW of peak demand. The demand had crossed what it was during pre-COVID time

COVER STORY

and it is expected that electricity demand will continue to rise. This gives us the space for adding more renewable capacity, but it will call for power system flexibility and introduction of various storage technologies.

It is a matter of immense pleasure and pride for the Indian Power Sector to have achieved the coveted milestone of 100 GW of installed Renewable Energy Capacity.

While 100 GW of capacity has been installed and operationalized, 50 GW of additional capacity is under installation and another 27 GW is under tendering process as on July

31, 2021, 38.5 per cent of India’s installed power generation capacity is based on clean renewable energy sources and with this pace we will reach the target of 40 per cent by 2023. At present our country stands at 4th position in the world in terms of installed RE capacity 5th in Solar and 4th in Wind energy capacity. He further said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the Government of India plans to continue this momentum in the clean energy sector by systematically scaling up its targets to install 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 from its existing

The minister urged countries from around the world to have discussions on core issues and embark upon ways to facilitate realistic energy transition and high renewable energy penetration. and it will be pleasure to discuss with other countries as to what paths they are adopting for decarbonization.

target of 175 GW by 2022.The 100 GW achievement not only marks an important milestone in India’s journey towards its target of 450 GW by 2030, but also builds upon the confidence to achieve more and be among the leading countries embarking on a path towards energy transition globally.

The minister said that active private sector continued to strengthen the supply side through capacity building exercises. The story is expected to be repeated in the years to come with advanced technologies, such as energy storage and green hydrogen.

Dedicated Green Energy Corridors initiated by the MNRE have made it easier for renewable energy developers to avail grid connectivity and evacuate up to 40,000 MW of large-scale renewable energy from renewable energy-rich parts of India. Going ahead, similar initiatives would be employed to push for adoption and installation of floating solar power plants in water bodies and reservoirs across the country. India, as a global champion for the Energy Transition, is taking the lead to support a global energy transition that is just, inclusive, and equitable

The minister urged countries from around the world to have discussions on core issues and embark upon ways to facilitate realistic energy transition and high renewable energy penetration. “I hope this dialogue kicks-off an exchange of best practices between India and ISA Member countries, while also outlining the future roadmap as a collective step towards achieving climate goals. I hope this makes the road to transition easier for many countries where many communities still rely on fossil fuels and need national decarbonization strategies to transition smoothly”, the Minister added.

The Dialogue featured two panel discussions and a presentation by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on Citizen Centric Energy Transition- India Story. India’s energy transition journey was highlighted in the presentation. The Deputy Director General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Gauri Singh, moderated the theme of the first panel discussion - “Addressing grid integration issues to facilitate high renewable energy transition”.

On the other hands, the theme of the second panel discussion – ‘Frameworks for accelerating RE’, was moderated by Dr. Amit Jain, the Senior Energy Specialist, World Bank Group. Representatives of ISA member countries, senior government officials Government of India, industry partners, academicians, innovators, researchers and various financial institutions from across the world were among those attended the program. It facilitated interventions between global renewable energy stakeholders to accelerate Energy Transition in ISA Member Countries and enable member countries to re-look at their national strategies for energy transition.

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UK WILLING TO COLLABORATE WITH INDIA ON GREEN HYDROGEN

I

ndia has already retired 16369 MW of inefficient thermal units till March, 2021, said the Union Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, RK Singh. Singh was talking to the officials during a meeting with Alok Sharma, the COP 26 President on August 17, 2021 in New Delhi. The COP26 President had raised the issue related to phasing out of coal fired power plants.

Sharma also stressed on UK’s willingness for collaborating with India on Green Hydrogen. The UK side also requested India’s support for organizing a successful COP26.

Singh also expressed India’s interest in collaborating with the UK on offshore wind. He also stressed on the need of the developed and developing countries to work together for bringing down the cost of storage. He informed the delegation that India is the only G20 country whose actions are in accordance with the NDCs set by them under the Paris Agreement.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the need of increasing storage capacity in view of India’s ambitious target of having 450 GW of installed Renewable Capacity by

2030.The UK side was invited to participate in the upcoming bids for Green Hydrogen and lithium-ion.

UNION ISSUES ENERGY SAVING CERTIFICATES TO PERFORMING INDUSTRIAL UNITS

A

s a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the Union Ministry of Power had on August 18, 2021 organized an event to issue Energy Saving Certificates (ESC) to the best performing Industrial units.

The Secretary, Ministry of Power, Alok Kumar, issued more than 57 lacs Energy Saving Certificates to 349 industrial units as they saved more energy than they had targeted. These units will be able to trade certificates through Power Exchange Portal after a month to those units who could not achieve their targets.

These initiatives will go a long way to make India more energy-efficient, and it will form a replicable model across the globe.

Large numbers of industries are taking energy efficiency measures by upgrading their technologies. Kumar outlined the leadership role being played in the energy transition efforts and India, being the only G-20 country that is on the track for below 2 degree rise as per the Paris agreement.

Various related industry leaders appreciated the efforts of Union Ministry of Power and assured all possible contribution for making the industrial sector cleaner and efficient

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in coming years. Ministry of Power has taken several initiatives to enhance energy efficiency of major industrial sectors. The objective is to reduce consumption of fossil fuel, coal, oil and gas thereby leading to low carbon economy. This will not only enhance energy security for India but will also contribute towards climate goals as per the Paris Agreement.

One of the flagship initiatives, known as ‘Perform, Achieve and Trade’ (PAT), was implemented under Cycle II (during 201619) covering 621 large industries from 11 sectors. Bureau of Energy Efficiency that is piloting this initiative completed the verification of energy savings achieved by these industries called as Designated Consumers (DCs). As per the audit reports received by BEE, total energy saving was more than 14 million tonne of oil equivalent (MTOE) which has also avoided 66 million tonnes CO2 emission. This initiative has resulted in energy saving of Rs. 31,445 crores and industries have reported an investment of over Rs. 43,721 crores.

In order to incentivise the exemplary performance, Ministry of Power issued

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COVER STORY

NATIONAL GRID’S INTER-REGIONAL POWER TRANSFER CAPACITY REACHES 110750 MW

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ower Grid Corporation of India Limited has commissioned the 765 Kilo Volt (kV) Double Circuit (D/C) Vindhyachal –Varanasi Transmission Line. This has been done by its wholly owned subsidiary PVTSL as per scheduled target. This transmission line corridor shall provide a strong connectivity between Northern Region (NR) and Western Region (WR) and facilitate reliable flow of power, benefitting the overall social and economic system, by enabling reliable flow of power to industries and households in Northern Region, Western Region and the entire country. With the commissioning of this link, the inter-regional power transfer capacity of national grid has enhanced by 4200 MW, taking the total capacity to 110750 MW in the country.

The 190-km long transmission line would transverse tough geographical areas and crosses four rivers Ganga, Gopad, Meyar & Sone. The 92-km portion of this transmission line passes through Madhya Pradesh and the remaining 98-km passes through Uttar Pradesh. This project has been acquired by POWERGRID under Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB). Recently, POWERGRID through its subsidiary, POWERGRID Jawaharpur Firozabad Transmission Ltd, has commissioned Transmission system for Evacuation of Power from 2x660 MW Jawaharpur Thermal Power Project and constructed 400 kV Sub-station at Firozabad along with associated transmission lines. The POWERGRID presently has 172,154 ckm of transmission lines, 262 Sub-stations and more than 446,940 MVA of transformation capacity. With the adoption of latest technological tools and techniques, enhanced use of automation and digital solutions, POWERGRID has been able to maintain average transmission system availability over 99 per cent.

Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts) to those units who exceeded their targets.

The PAT scheme as a market-based mechanism, under National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) is to enhance cost effectiveness through certification of excess energy savings in energy intensive industries that can be traded. The scheme seeks to reduce the specific energy consumption (SEC). Under this scheme, an Energy Audit is done to verify the baseline data (current level of efficiency) and thereafter energy saving targets are given.

Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts) are issued to those plants that have achieved excess energy savings over their targets.

Units that are unable to meet the targets either through their own actions or through purchase of ESCerts are liable to financial penalty under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. After Issuance of ESCerts DCs are required to register with the Registry as Eligible Entity before registering with the power exchanges for trading of ESCerts and book keeping of ESCerts.

The Trading of ESCerts takes place on the

Power Exchange platform. Noticeably, ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is the Union Government's initiative to mark 75 years of India's Independence. The idea behind the Mahotsav that starts the celebration of 75 years of India's Independence 75 weeks before August 15, 2022 and extends up to Independence Day 2023 is to showcase accomplishments since 1947 so as to instill a sense of pride and to create a vision for 'India@2047'. The commemorations will include 75 events for 75 weeks with one prominent event every week. The Government of India has set up the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) on 1st March 2002 under the provision of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to assist in developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market principles with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. This will be achieved with active participation of all stakeholders, resulting in accelerated and sustained adoption of energy efficiency in all sectors.

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TRENDS

RESILIENCE IN THE INDIAN POWER SECTOR

THREE BARRIERS TO OVERCOME

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ower is one of a nation’s most essential infrastructure components, crucial to economic growth and welfare. Indian economic growth requires an adequate infrastructure to be developed.

In terms of diversity, the power sector in India is one of the most developed. There are a variety of conventional and nonconventional sources for generating power, including coal, lignite, natural gas, oil, hydro and nuclear.

In recent years, the country’s demand for electricity has rapidly increased and is expected to continue to rise in the years to come. To meet the growing demand for electricity in the country, a massive expansion of installed generating capacity is required. According to the Global Climate Risk Index, India is the seventh most climate-affected country in the world, and it is expected that the impacts of climate change will aggravate in the coming years. Temperature rises are predicted to result in water scarcity and inefficiency in hydro-power generation systems, while extreme wind speeds and rain will damage generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure.

A recent survey report says that the vulnerability of the Indian power grid to power outages is expected to increase.

Consequently, grid risks cannot be limited to the power sector alone. Ultimately, it will have a cascading effect, affecting multiple end-use sectors, such as healthcare and food storage. Moreover, it will impact new clean technology solutions in sectors such as transportation, which have traditionally been shielded from risks associated with the power grid.

For India to grow and transition its energy supply, climate resilience will be critical. This

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report identifies three main obstacles to a climate-resilient grid in India:

1. Technological The digital transformation of India’s power sector is underway, but it is too immature to play a significant role in grid resilience against climate catastrophes.

Additional investments are needed to enhance grid flexibility (distributed renewable energy, energy storage, and demand response), islanding capability (microgrids), and backup energy (energy storage).

There is a need for more smart meters and smart grid devices and sensors to ensure utilities have access to granular consumer energy usage and weather data for better forecasting and planning. Additionally, energy transmission and distribution networks must be hardened to withstand very high winds and water levels.

2. Financial A lack of sufficient funding has been cited as one of the primary challenges that stakeholders in the Indian power market face when responding to harsh weather conditions. In addition to understanding renewable energy, banks and governments should familiarize themselves with longterm climate risks.

By doing this, they will be able to develop new and innovative financing models that will help expand the country’s renewable energy portfolio, which will increase its resilience to climate change.

Banks and financial institutions need to incorporate climate resilience screening into their development plans so that project developers are encouraged to

September 2021

do so. Additionally, partnerships with international and local finance avenues must be maximized, and mechanisms such as bonds and insurance should be explored further.

3. Policy and governance At the policy level, iterative, adaptive planning in the power sector will be required, as will collaboration between ministries, departments, and sectors. At the operation level, this will require a bottomup approach that incorporates situational learnings into regulations.

The study also identified several key conclusions and recommendations, including: The current disaster management framework for the power sector should be leveraged and new customised plans must be developed to reflect the longterm, uncertain, and unpredictable nature of climate risks. Regulations need to be updated around power sector equipment standards, electricity codes, energy procurement, and contract processes to reflect resilience requirements.

Electricity will expand into rural areas, necessitating the training of locals on how to maintain, repair, and operate infrastructure and become self-sufficient. Despite being more expensive, resilience interventions can both safeguard the power infrastructure against climate risks and prevent routine maintenance and repair costs, in addition to enhancing the quality of electricity and providing flexibility in system design. To that end, policymakers and planners need to work with financial institutions to explore and implement the appropriate technology and management practices at both the supply and demand sides.

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Limited (NTPC), recently announced plans to build India’s largest single-site solar park of 4.75 Gigawatts (GW) in Kutch.

To assist non-public developers of renewable energy projects, the ministry of Renewable energy provides central financial assistance.

A solar park generally provides properly developed property, including transmission, water access, road connectivity, and communication networks. It accelerates the installation of grid-connected solar power projects and facilitates large-scale electricity generation.

INDIA’S SOLAR PARKS

With the development of solar parks, economies of scale are realized, foreign investments are attracted, and job opportunities are created. Although large solar parks have their challenges, managing them efficiently is important.

Energy ecosystem partners such as power producers, discoms, investors, and manufacturers must work together to develop the renewable energy ecosystem.

EXPERIENCE A GOOD START, CHALLENGES AWAIT

E

nergy infrastructure in India, especially renewable energy, has taken center stage for India’s economic growth.

The government established a target of 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by fiscal year (FY) 2021-22 to transform the existing expensive, unreliable, and polluting fossil-fuel market. As a result of an analysis of the “optimal generator mix for 2030” by the Central Electricity Authority, the target for 2030 was raised to 450GW by 2019.

Almost 90 per cent of the 30 GW of renewable energy capacity added since the beginning of FY 2017-18 has been signed at rates between INR 2.42 - 2.80 per kWh (USD 35-40/MWh) for 25 years, with no indexation in the first year. This is roughly 60-70 per cent less than the expected new non-mine mouth coal-fired power plants.

Solar power parks and mega solar installations were announced by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in December 2014. The report recommended the establishment of at least 25 solar parks and ultra-mega solar power plants across the country. Since then, India has built a few ultra-mega solar parks with capacities of over one gigawatt

(GW), including the ones built in Bhadla (Rajasthan) and Pavagada (Karnataka). Solar parks like these are some of the largest ever commissioned.

There has been a renewed interest in Ultra Large Renewable Energy projects lately. A list of such huge parks, ranging in capacity from 2 GW in Uttar Pradesh to 25 GW announced in Gujarat and Rajasthan, are being planned by various states and nodal agencies.

Additionally, the MNRE announced significant modifications to the 2014 solar park scheme in an Official Memorandum (OM) dated 15th June 2020. As part of this OM, solar parks were introduced as a new implementation model.

This is the eighth mode of implementing the 2014 solar park scheme, called the Ultra-Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs), wherein developers are offered multiple incentives to install UMREPPs. Along with other supplementary steps like the recently announced extension of the Interstate transmission charge waiver, this OM will do much to enhance the Indian RE landscape.

With a goal of 175 GW by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030, these large parks will be crucial to India’s transition to clean and green energy.

The country’s largest power company, National Thermal Power Corporation

A solar park requires technical expertise, workforce management, scheduling, legal and regulatory expertise, as well as community engagement. The generation and sale numbers are important, but so is keeping track of state policies, DISCOM regulations, labor law, and safety compliances, community welfare activities, etc.

Solar parks will contribute to the country’s economic growth and help transition to a sustainable future. India needs forwardlooking and well-aligned policies across states, to promote domestic manufacturing of solar cells and modules, and incentivize developers and discoms, as well as to improve the power infrastructure to build solar parks. The utility-scale solar parks in India have been effective in accelerating the country’s energy transition.

In recent years, India has attracted top global investors and developers through the development of ultra-mega solar parks. The International Energy Efficiency and Financial Analysis Organization has determined that India is one of the top investment possibilities within the next ten years in terms of renewable energy and grid expansion and integration.

India’s power and solar energy industry should use this opportunity to resolve longpending problems and be fully prepared for a green infrastructure investment stimulus once it emerges from this pandemic. We should take pride in the fact that we can implement world-leading renewable energy projects and strive to overcome short-term policy impediments to reaching our longterm goals in renewable energy.

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TRENDS

BOOSTING INDIA’S WIND POWER INDUSTRY

REQUIRES FRESH AIR T

he wind power business was leading the country’s renewable energy arena even before the sun started shining on India’s solar power sector.

However, with the spotlight moving to solar and a lack of governmental backing, India’s wind generation industry has been gasping for breath in recent years.

In reality, India’s ambitions to decarbonize its energy sector include wind power as a key component. Wind power contributes to 60 GW of the 175 GW installed renewable capacity plan by 2022, and 140 GW of the 450 GW objective by 2030.

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India, on the other hand, has been falling behind on its yearly wind energy installation target since 2017-18, according to government data. India now has 39.48 GW of installed wind power capacity, making it the fourth-largest wind power capacity in the world. However, it is unclear if the government will be able to meet its objective of 60 GW by 2022, which appears to be a tall order at the moment.

The move to a bidding strategy that seeks the lowest per-unit price during an auction, according to the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), is one of the

September 2021

causes for the slowing down of wind power project installation.

“Capacity increases before 2017 were through Feed-in Tariff (FiT) mechanism,” the MNRE said in a recent parliament panel report, but the subsequent switch to the tariff regime “slightly delayed the installation of projects.”

Currently, in the country, wind energy projects are installed based on their commercial viability and via competitive bidding, according to the report. Regular bids for wind energy projects are made to

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offer sufficient capacity to developers. The status of bids and project implementation is frequently checked, according to the statement.

“Wind (energy) is extremely mature compared to solar,” D.V. Giri, SecretaryGeneral of IWTMA stated, “so it is logical the government has been supporting solar.”

He did point out, however, that unlike other sectors (such as solar power), which are highly reliant on China (for component imports), the wind energy industry encourages domestic component production. “Wind is a member of the Make in India initiative, which provides rural employment and involves over 4,000 vendors from the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector,” he explained.

“Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) were implemented in all wind states before 2017, which facilitated investment, revenue generation for state governments, job creation, and an economic boost to rural areas. Following the introduction of competitive bidding, tariffs became the focus of attention, and business was limited to two high-wind states: Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The offer was tiny, which caused bidders to quote aggressively, possibly making the tariff unlikable,” Giri said.

However, according to the March 2021 parliament panel report “Action Plan for Achievement of 175 GW Renewable Energy Target,” “tariff-based competitive bidding process has significantly reduced the tariff of wind power, from over INR 4 per unit through FiT to around INR 2.80 per unit in bidding regime.” The panel advised the government to speak with all stakeholders regarding the price change so that the overall goal of 60 GW by 2022 is not jeopardised.

India has set a goal of 60 GW of wind power by 2022. Land difficulties and a lack of regulatory backing are two major factors impeding India’s wind power sector’s expansion.

“Wind is extremely mature compared to solar,” D.V. Giri, SecretaryGeneral of IWTMA stated, “so it is logical the government has been supporting solar.”

India has set a goal of 60 GW of wind power by 2022. Land difficulties and a lack of regulatory backing are two major factors impeding India’s wind power sector’s expansion.

In the previous four years, India has a “manufacturing capacity of 10 GW (per year) chasing a market of 1.5 GW,” according to Giri.

Meanwhile, K. Kasthurirangaian, Chairman of the Indian Wind Power Association (IWPA), stated the federal government is supportive of the wind energy business, but state governments are not. One of the biggest obstacles to the expansion of the wind power sector, he claims, is the “lack of any financial incentive.”

“Due to reverse bidding, both wind and solar electricity prices have declined.

The issue is that state discoms (electricity distribution firms) are hesitant to pay,” he explained.

Finding land for wind power projects Another important factor for the sluggish expansion of the wind power industry, according to analysts and developers, is the difficulty in acquiring land for projects, which has also hampered the growth of the solar sector.

One of the primary problems affecting the expansion of the wind power sector in India, according to Vibhuti Garg, an energy economist at the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), is a shortage of land resources.

“Land is a major impediment to the growth of renewable energy. Another important difficulty is that the majority of suitable wind sites in India have already been taken over,

“Small and medium investors were denied the opportunity since the central bid minimum size is 50 MW. The government has set a lofty goal of 140 GW by 2030, equating to 11 GW every year for the following ten years. This volume cannot be covered by bidding with financially strapped discoms (power distribution companies),” he explained.

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despite the fact that the existing projects there have poor power generating capacity.

When developers already have PPAs (power purchase agreements), they aren’t interested in spending additional money on newer technology that may help them improve generation on those good wind sites, according to Garg.

She believes that repowering wind power assets is necessary to enhance their efficiency. “Moreover, the government advantages that the wind industry used to get are no longer available to them. As a result, developers feel solar power is a far safer alternative than risking wind power,” she explained.

Kasthurirangaian of the IWPA expressed similar concerns, claiming that “developers confront a big challenge inland distribution for wind projects,” and that state governments are not helping in this regard.

Off-shore wind power: is it the answer?

India is in the early stages of offshore wind energy development, according to the March 2021 parliamentary panel report, and extensive offshore wind and other oceanographic surveys are being conducted to better understand the nature of the subsoil, seabed morphology, and other factors.

It was discovered that offshore wind power potential of 36 GW and 31 GW exists off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, respectively. It stated that, because India has a 7,500-kilometer-long coastline, the MNRE should “extensively study the offshore wind power potential in all other coastal States in a time-bound manner” in addition to Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. “As far as offshore wind generation is concerned,

Renewable energy will not be attractive to the private sector without incentives like these. He suggested that they disclose policy initiatives to entice private investors it has yet to become commercially viable,” Garg said, adding that “because of the high degree of risk, we have yet to see the type of momentum that we saw for solar.”

The exact cost of the offshore turbine and tariff cannot be determined at this time, according to the MNRE, because the “determination of per Megawatt cost of the offshore turbine and tariff of offshore wind projects depends on various factors,” including offshore vessels for wind power projects, wind characteristics, and environmental constraints.

According to the ministry, the cost of an offshore wind turbine per megawatt is projected to be “two to three times the cost of onshore wind turbines” based on

early assessments. “When India deploys large commercial-scale offshore wind turbines, offshore wind turbine prices and tariffs are likely to match onshore wind turbine prices and tariffs due to the nation’s strong onshore wind turbine manufacturing base,” India’s renewable energy ministry stated.

Revitalizing the wind power sector According to a report released in June 2021 by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and MEC Intelligence (MEC+), a strategic advisory and market consulting firm, India is expected to install nearly 20.2 GW of wind power capacity between 2021 and 2025, representing a nearly 50 per cent increase over the 39.2 GW currently in place.

The wind power industry, according to the report, would be a crucial link in India’s clean energy transition and green recovery. The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on India’s wind power sector was more severe than expected, with just 1.1 GW built out of the 3.3 GW initially predicted for 2020, according to the report, although the market is expected to recover.

“Over the next five years, government bids will account for 90 per cent of newly installed wind power, followed by corporate procurement and state markets.

New opportunities such as repowering, hybrid projects, offshore wind, and corporate PPAs can help India scale up its wind power capacity and deliver affordable, clean energy across the country, according to the report, which also calls for more coordination between the central and state governments on wind targets.

According to Kasthurirangaian of the IWPA, the federal government would need to “explore the potential of incentives... because until that occurs, the private sector money won’t flow” to ensure that the wind power sector continues to expand.

Renewable energy will not be attractive to the private sector without incentives like these. He suggested that they disclose policy initiatives to entice private investors. The solutions for the stressed (wind power) sector, according to D.V. Giri of the IWTMA, include a national tariff for all wind projects under 50 MW, state procurement by a determined tariff through the state regulatory commission, investor-friendly repowering policy because the land is a finite resource, and maximising output with MW size turbines.

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September 2021

TRENDS

INDIA’S FOSSIL-FUEL INDUSTRY COULD STEER ITS

GREEN ENERGY SECTOR T

of the country’s coal, stated that the company intends to be active in the solar power industry.

he government and private sector participants in India’s fossil-fuel business are turning over a new ‘green’ leaf. Many of them have pledged to participate in India’s renewable energy transformation on a large scale. The announcements have created a lot of attention since the major firms provide economies of scale to the industry, but they’ve also prompted concerns about green energy market concentration.

Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), launched a new green energy sector during the company’s 44th annual general meeting in June, claiming that the age of fossil fuels could not last much longer. He called for a “quick shift to a new age of green, clean, and renewable energy.”

Ambani, whose energy firm has previously focused on oil and gas, has pledged a major investment of INR 750 billion (INR 75,000 crore) in the renewable energy industry over the next three years in order to ride the energy transformation wave. He also stated that by 2030, 100 GW of solar power-producing capacity will be installed.

Adani Green Energy of the Adani Group, India’s other major energy provider, announced a purchase of SoftBank Group’s renewable energy power company, which has over 5 GW of solar and wind power assets, in May 2021. Following this, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani stated in June 2021 that the company has met its goal of building 25 GW of renewable energy capacity four years ahead of plan.

In March 2021, the chairman of Coal India Limited (CIL), which produces the majority

“The renewable energy market is already consolidating in favour of the organised players,” Gautam Mohanka, managing director of solar components maker Gautam Solar, said in response to questions about large corporations’ investments leading to consolidation in the renewable energy sector.

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani stated in June 2021 that the company has met its goal of building 25 GW of renewable energy capacity four years ahead of plan

“The enormous infusion of funds into the renewable energy sector is poised to catapult the green energy industry to new heights. Governments and businesses are chasing lofty goals that will result in more concentration of power across the value chain. Several special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) are also entering the green energy field, which Mohanka predicts will stimulate investment in the sector.

“This shifts the balance in favour of large-scale industry leaders who hold the potential for huge capital deployment,” he added, citing the “upsurge in demand” for renewable energy.

His contemporaries in the sector, on the other hand, disagree. “Entry of the large companies may not necessarily lead to consolidation of the renewable power sector,” said Sanjeev Gupta, Chairman, Power, Renewable & Alternative Energy, PHDCCI, an industry group.

“In order to get cheaper, cleaner electricity, India’s renewable energy sector is expected to experience a huge vertical integration by leading international firms. Renewable energy rates are trending downward.

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TRENDS to the solar industry,” Pulipaka said. Smaller players will find their way into the business if there are major players.” “Moreover, we are only looking at solar parks and not rooftop solar or solar pumps, which are enormous sub-sectors in and of them. “I think there is a role for linked subsectors, regardless of size,” he said.

The key to success will be low-cost financing and the acquisition of low-cost generating equipment (solar panels and wind turbines). Rooftop and current small, medium, and big renewable energy companies, on the other hand, will continue to operate, benefiting from higher rates previously contracted,” Gupta said.

Do smaller players have a chance?

While the main energy players in the country’s ambitions for renewable energy herald an exciting moment for the industry, there is fear that this would result in a reduction of operating space for smaller companies that may lack the clout or cash to invest.

“A multitude of greenfield and brownfield prospects are accessible for investigation and are very likely to cause a wave of consolidation in the global value chain,” according to Gautam Mohanka. The USD 3.5 billion (about INR 220 billion or INR 22,000 crore) Adani-Softbank transaction is a good illustration of this.”

“In order to promote growth, India requires more project developers with a robust balance sheet. The local infrastructure investment sector is experiencing an increase in confidence and is thus a critical facilitator in the process.

Smaller players will be able to merge under one large corporate umbrella and eventually get organised, which would be beneficial to business,” he explained. During the RIL’s energy transition announcements, Ambani also stated that his company’s move will inspire a complete ecosystem of clean energy enterprises across the country.

“The future beckons larger companies with the potential to deliver reduced prices on the back of larger projects,” said Sanjeev Gupta of the PHDCCI. However, we expect that in diverse regions of

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renewable energy, small, medium, and already major businesses will all coexist.” Subrahmanyam Pulipaka, President of the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), the body that represents all the solar energy stakeholders in India, expressed similar sentiments. He claims that in India’s solar energy production industry, the scales are tipped in favour of those with greater manufacturing capabilities.

“There is a good chance that several manufacturers will be capable of producing wafers, ingots, and cells, if not entire modules. At the same time, there is the rooftop solar market, which is a free-for-all industry. It’s a fair playing field in rooftop solar for a company with 80 per cent market share or a company with 8 per cent market share,” Pulipaka explained.

“The general idea is that this (consolidation) is a natural occurrence that is not unique

The RIL’s energy transition announcements, Ambani also stated that his company’s move will inspire a complete ecosystem of clean energy enterprises across the country

September 2021

Big players’ involvement in green energy growth By 2022, India has set a goal of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity.

There has also been talk recently of aiming for 450 GW of capacity by 2030. However, India has yet to reach 100 GW of installed renewable energy capacity, and meeting the 175 GW target by 2022 becomes more challenging. The total installed renewable energy capacity is now 96.9 GW. The fast deployment of renewable energy capacity is hindered by a number of difficulties, including states attempting to renegotiate power purchase agreements, land conflicts, COVID-19-related delays, climate funding, import dependency, and so on. Sanjeev Gupta of the PHDCCI commented on the impact of major industry players focusing on the renewable energy sector, saying, “The big companies will have their voice adequately heard and concerns will also be resolved more quickly.” He added, “However, we believe that the government will also address the issue of small, medium, and big companies in the renewable energy industry.”

“One of the good things about the Indian government is that it is quite sensitive to comments from the industry,” said Pulipaka, who is a member of the NSEFI, which represents most of the main solar companies, both small and large. “Massive deals by Adani Green and ReNew are certainly tilting the balance of power in the sector into the hands of organised players,” said Gautam Solar’s Mohanka.

“However, despite lofty government objectives and a plethora of economic prospects, India has been reluctant to adopt renewable energy. In the previous three to four years, India has installed about 10 GW of solar power. Over and beyond the large receivables from DISCOMS (electricity distribution firms), land acquisition is one of the biggest roadblocks in infrastructure development, he added.

More reforms in the structural bidding process, the utility sector, the auctioning process, and land acquisition regulations, according to Mohanka, are certainly necessary to accelerate India’s adoption of green energy. “Policy adjustments would certainly follow to support the massive expansion anticipated by industrial titans and the government,” he hoped.

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INDIA ONLY NATION TO REACH

G20 CLIMATE GOALS

I

ndia has already installed 100 GW of renewable energy. In his recent statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also stated that India is the only G20 country making quick progress toward its climate targets.

In its nationally defined contribution under the Paris Agreement, India has set a goal of obtaining 40 per cent of electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. Installing 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 is one way to meet the objective.

“Today, India is the only country in the G20 that is making significant progress toward reaching its climate targets. India has set a goal of 450 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by the end of this decade, and 450 gigawatts by 2030. India has already reached the objective of 100 GW ahead of schedule,” Modi remarked.

India has three quantifiable nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, including reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 3335 per cent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels; increasing total cumulative electricity generation from fossil-free energy sources to 40 per cent by 2030; and creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes through additional forest and tree cover.

India claimed it has continued to decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions in its Biennial Update Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) released in February. Between 2005 and 2016, the emission intensity of India's gross domestic

India claimed it has continued to decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions in its Biennial Update Report to the UNFCCC released in February

India's total installed renewable energy capacity, excluding big hydro, has surpassed 100 GW, according to the ministry of new and renewable energy. “This is another watershed moment in the history of India's power sector.

Our installed renewable energy capacity has surpassed 1,000 megawatts (excluding big hydro). We will continue to be world leaders in energy transition under PM @narendramodi ji's visionary leadership,” electricity minister RK Singh tweeted.

PM Modi stated during his address that the railways have already set a goal of being a net-zero carbon industry by 2030. PM Modi stated, "We are putting the same emphasis on environmental security as we do on national security..." “We must recognise that India is not energy self-sufficient. It spends more than 12 lakh crores on energy imports. We must guarantee that India becomes Atmanirbhar Bharat in energy generation as we commemorate 75 years of independence.”

product (GDP) decreased by 24 per cent.

As a result, India is on track to reach its voluntary goal of reducing GDP emission intensity by 20-25 per cent by 2020, compared to 2005 levels.

“Since 2017, India's yearly renewable energy additions have surpassed coalbased thermal power additions, and in the previous six years, India's installed renewable energy capacity has escalated by two and a half times, and solar energy capacity has increased by thirteen times. We are on track to complete our second NDC far ahead of schedule,” stated an official from the Ministry of the Environment.

Green hydrogen generation and exports, according to Prime Minister Modi, would help India move to a sustainable energy future. “Green Hydrogen is the world's future. I'm announcing the formation of the National Hydrogen Mission today. We must make India a worldwide hub for green hydrogen production and export...this would not only help India achieve new levels of energy self-sufficiency, but will also serve as a fresh source of inspiration for the global clean energy revolution. New prospects for our start-ups and youngsters are emerging today, ranging from green growth to green jobs,” he noted.

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BIOMASS POWER IN INDIA MEETS TARGET BUT FACES STAGNANT FUTURE

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t remains to be seen if India can meet its solar and wind energy objectives of 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power and 60 GW of wind power by 2022.

However, one component of its objective of 175 GW of installed renewable power capacity has been met: biomass power and cogeneration.

India published its climate objectives in 2015, right before the Paris Climate Summit, which included a target of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, with 15 GW coming from biomass power, small hydropower, and waste-to-energy facilities.

Six years later, in 2021, the country has already met the 10 GW biomass power objective, with biomass power installed capacity at 10.17 GW, up from 4.4 GW in 2015.

Biomass has long been an essential energy source for the country, according to the union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), since it is "renewable, widely available, carbon-neutral, and has the potential to create considerable employment in rural regions." According to MNRE, more than 70 per cent of the country's population is reliant on it for energy. The Indian government began bagasse-based cogeneration in sugar mills and biomass power generation for grid power production to ensure its cleaner and more efficient usage.

Bagasse, rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells, soya husk, de-oiled cakes, coffee waste, jute wastes, groundnut shells, sawdust, and other biomass products are used to generate electricity.

According to a statement by Vivek P. Adhia, the Institute for Sustainable Communities' India national director, the biomass-based power sector has played an important role in India's energy transition efforts as it has crossed 100 GW installed capacity.

“The country has met its 10 GW biomass energy generation objective, owing to substantial agro-waste availability throughout the year, proven scalable technology, and simple integration into the mainstream,” Adhia stated.

In reality, according to official data, biomass power generation has met the yearly objectives for new capacity addition numerous times in the previous ten years.

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Bagasse, rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells, soya husk, deoiled cakes, coffee waste, jute wastes, groundnut shells, sawdust, and other biomass products are used to generate electricity.

September 2021

In the last decade, the central government has invested over INR 4.6 billion in biomass power and waste to energy systems.

The industry has its own set of challenges and opportunities for future growth.

According to the MNRE, non-signing of power purchase agreements by DISCOMs (power distribution companies), a lack of working capital, and the lack of biomass supply are among the key issues preventing the industry from reaching its full potential.

The availability of biomass in India, according to research supported by the MNRE, may equate to a potential of around 28 GW. Furthermore, assuming the country's 550 sugar mills adopt technically and economically optimal levels of cogeneration for extracting electricity from the bagasse produced by them, roughly 14 GW of additional power may be created through bagasse-based cogeneration.

Despite its potential, India has not increased its ambition in the biomass industry, despite the fact that it is focusing more on solar and wind power. After setting an ambitious target of 100 gigawatts of solar energy and 60 gigawatts of wind power by 2022, India

TRENDS

now plans to reach a total of 450 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. However, due to variables such as seasonal fuel supply, biomass power will stay at 10 GW by 2030.

India's minister for power and new and renewable energy, R.K. Singh, recently told the house that MNRE has been executing a programme to promote the promotion of biomass-based cogeneration in sugar mills and other sectors, demonstrating a lack of ambition and support for the industry.

"The program was applicable to projects throughout the country.

On May 11, 2018, the plan was announced, and it was valid till March 31, 2021. A proposal to extend the plan beyond March 31, 2021, is being considered,” Singh told the legislature.

According to the minister, this scheme provides central financial assistance of INR 2.5 million per MW of surplus exportable capacity for bagasse cogeneration projects and INR 5 million per MW of installed capacity for non-bagasse cogeneration projects to plants that use biomass such as bagasse, agro-based industrial residues, crop residues, wood produced through energy plantations, and weed.

While discussing the development of India's 175 GW objective earlier this year, a parliamentary panel expressed satisfaction with the biomass power target while noting the sector's difficulties and asking for remedial measures. “With steady farm yields over time and therefore matching availability of agro-residue,” Adhia explained, “biomass-based power

On May 11, 2018, the plan was announced, and it was valid till March 31, 2021.

A proposal to extend the plan beyond March 31, 2021, is being considered,” Singh told the legislature production capacity is likely to more or less remain stable until we witness a significant increase in technology, efficiency, or yields.”

He continued, "One silver lining for biomassbased power generation could be in the field of distributed renewable energy, where it can complement and advance limits of solar-based solutions, allowing more beneficial applications for food production and textiles, and other rural SME sectors."

He explained, “This does shut the loop with localised circular economies that cover both

trash availability, electricity generation, and use within observable boundaries.”

India has virtually reached its goal of 5 GW of installed capacity from small hydropower projects, in addition to reaching the biomass power objective. The installed capacity is now at 4.8 GW (as of July 31).

In India, the potential for power generation from small hydropower projects is estimated to be at 21.13 GW at 7133 sites. Because numerous projects are in various phases of execution, the rest of the objective is likewise projected to be completed by the end of 2022.

The legislative panel suggested to the MNRE in March 2021 to "expedite the process of development of the Small Hydro Power Scheme on a priority basis and have it approved" in its report. “Targets may be set in such a way that the available potential of 21.13 GW electricity in the small hydropower sector is harnessed in a particular time frame,” it had stated.

The committee also examined wasteto-energy, a minor component of India's renewable energy capacity that has yet to gain widespread recognition. The MNRE told the panel that, with the exception of one year, the objective for establishing waste-to-energy plants had been fulfilled in the preceding four years.

The ministry also detailed the procedures taken to guarantee that waste-to-energy projects were completed. It said it has revised its waste-to-energy programme to include support for municipal solid waste-based power projects to encourage the installation of such plants, as well as the development of an online portal to accept applications for central financial assistance and regular follow-up with developers for the submission of required documents.

“Given the distributed nature of urban and town planning promoted under the Smart Cities mission, waste-toenergy solutions need to scale down from large scale centralised approaches (as was the case a few years ago with municipal solid waste treatment plants) to more localised RWA centric applications,” Adhia said.

“When implemented from the ground up, technological improvements can make waste and/or sludge-to-energy solutions more appealing,” he added.

September 2021

DAWN 33

INTERVIEW

One of the most significant factors in improving agricultural productivity in any farming system is the use of highquality seeds. This aspect is now more important than ever in ensuring adequate food security for the world's growing population, which is anticipated to reach nine billion people by 2050. In order to seek answers to few significant questions, Dr. Hariom Tyagi, Editor-in-Chief of Observer Dawn interviewed Vinod Kumar Gaur, Chairman-cumManaging Director of National Seeds Corporation Limited.

Here is an excerpt of the conversation.

AGRICULTURE IS THE HEART OF INDIA, SEED IS THE SOUL – VINOD KUMAR GAUR

Observer Dawn: You were appointed as CMD of National Seed Corporation in the year 2012. What has your journey been like?

Vinod Gaur: I'm from Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal District. In my village, I finished high school in a tiny school. I sought a postgraduate degree in agriculture since it piqued my curiosity. Following that, I was hired as a management trainee at National Fertiliser Limited, a government of India Company. This company was where I spent nearly 20 years of my life. Following that, I served as a General Manager at Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited. I was hired as the CMD of State Farm Corporation of India after a thorough screening procedure by PESB. During my tenure there, I was approached and assigned additional duties of National Seed

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Corporation (NSC) and after a while, I was appointed as the CMD here. After a while, both these companies were merged together. This was a challenging journey so far. I worked towards the progress of India as an agricultural state. I was only 49 when I was appointed CMD, which I consider as an achievement.

Observer Dawn: Despite the fact that India is an agricultural country, changes in this area have been delayed and disregarded. What exactly is the cause behind this?

Vinod Gaur: There is no shortage of reforms, but in my opinion, the main factor has been their implementation. Also, there was a lack of focus on the needs of small and marginal farmers. There also was a need for a forum dedicated to working towards

September 2021

the welfare of farmers. There is also a demand-supply imbalance in the country.

The youth is not so interested to work in the agricultural sector. Currently, a lot of reforms are ongoing in this regard.

Observer Dawn: Agriculture contributes immensely to the economic growth of the country. But a good crop comes from good seeds. Where does National Seed Corporation play its part?

Vinod Gaur: As you rightly mentioned, Indian agriculture is at the heart of the nation, its seeds at its core. If quality seeds are not used, the crop will be poor regardless of how many other variables are used correctly. To address this need, NSC was established in March-1963 to undertake the production of foundation and certified seeds. It now produces certified seeds in its

INTERVIEW

Farms and via its registered seed producers for over 600 types of 60 crops, including Cereals, Pulses, Oilseeds, Fiber, Fodder, Green Manure, and Vegetables.

To ensure that farmers receive the highquality seed, NSC has created a stringent Quality Control system. NSC has set up four Quality Control Laboratories to conduct seed testing and quality control.

Observer Dawn: There are a variety of regions in India, and it is certainly not an easy task to transport and store quality seeds in distant regions.

What challenges did you face and what solutions did you come up with?

Vinod Gaur: NSC is the largest company in the seed sector in India. We have about 55,000 acres of land spread all over the country. Around 8 farms and 12500 registered seed farmers are working on seed production programmes in various agro-climatic settings around the country.

NSC also takes care to meet the demand for quality seed of the farmers in the interior parts of the country like the North Eastern States & other hilly regions. Seed marketing is carried out through different channels namely sales through dealers/distributors, Govt. (State/Central), through NSC owned Sale counter and in Kisan Melas. There are about 3000 dealers of the Corporation who account for more than 43 per cent of the sale turnover.

NSC plays a key role in the implementation of various schemes of the Govt. of India like “National Mission on Oil Seed and Oil Palm (NMOOP)”, “National Food Security Mission (NFSM)” and “Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). It also provides technical support to the seed producing agencies including State Seed Corporations by imparting

training of personnel engaged in the production of seeds in that organization Observer Dawn: How much emphasis is NSC putting on the production of pulses and oilseeds?

Vinod Gaur: The main problem that was being faced in oilseeds was that there was a lot of blending ongoing. The Government of India has recently restricted the mixing of Mustard oil to ensure a pure product. This has really improved the situation. At present, it is undertaking production of certified seeds of nearly 600 varieties of 60 crops consisting of Cereals, Pulses, oilseeds, Fiber, Fodder, Green Manure and Vegetables, in its Farms and through its registered seed growers.

In seed production, emphasis is given to the production of oilseeds, pulses and hybrids including vegetables. There is about 2 lakh quintal manufacturing of oilseeds and about 3.5 lakh quintal manufacturing of pulse seeds via NSC. Last year, NSC distributed about 52,000 quintal seeds of mustard exclusively. We are also focusing on pulses like masoor, chana, moong, urad and arhar.

Observer Dawn: Adulteration in seeds is a grave situation. What are the measures being taken in this regard?

Vinod Gaur: There is a strict focus on seed testing for the elimination of these problems. NSC has established strict Quality Control procedures to ensure the supply of quality seed to farmers. NSC has established 4 Quality Control Laboratories, one each at New Delhi, Secunderabad, Bhopal and Suratgarh to undertake seed testing to check the quality of seeds.

There is an additional need to aware the consumer in this regard. We have

implemented authentication factors like QR Codes on our products to ensure quality and seed traceability. Consumers can also download our app to find out about our authorised distributors.

Observer Dawn: How is NSC contributing to the field of horticulture?

Vinod Gaur: Besides, production and distribution of quality seeds, NSC is also involved in the production of Tissue Culture Plants like Banana. It also undertakes supply of seedlings/saplings of fruits crops from elite progeny orchards at its farms.

It is also implementing techniques like propagation, grafting, stem cutting, etc. to artificially propagate plants. We are also focusing to propagate plants using genetics and biotechnological techniques to increase production. NSC has developed various infrastructure facilities at its Farms towards Micro Irrigation Systems, Water Conservation, Farm Mechanization, Threshing Floors, Seed Processing Plants, and Seed Storage Godowns.

Observer Dawn: How does NSC handle its storage aspects?

Vinod Gaur: NSC is the nodal agency for the implementation of the Central Sector Scheme to create infrastructure facilities for the establishment of processing plants and storage godowns in different states in the private sectors. NSC has developed infrastructure facilities of Seed Processing Plants and Seed Storage Godowns at relevant locations at its Regional/ Area offices. This entire infrastructure will help in the production of quality seeds.

Observer Dawn: What things should the farmer keep in mind to ensure a good yield?

Vinod Gaur: For crop yields to be good the availability of sunlight and water are necessary for sufficient quantities in addition to soil fertility. Soil pH should be near neutral otherwise it would be advisable to use agricultural lime to neutralize acidic soils or gypsum to moderate alkaline soils. Marginal deviations of pH from neutral will be moderated by the compost itself. Excessive use of fertilizer should be avoided.

Also, using quality ingredients is very important and should be focused on, in order to produce a good yield. The youth should also start focusing on the agricultural aspects. It is also in the best interest of the farmers to become vigilant and aware and utilize new technologies.

September 2021

DAWN 35

BIZ TECH

PRIVATE CLOUDS:

6 REASONS TO USE THEM FOR YOUR BUSINESS

C

loud computing has been around for a while and is the preferred form of data storage for many organisations. The cloud is a basic concept: data is kept on the internet rather than on a physical server. There are several advantages to this approach over standard storage methods. Although companies of all sizes recognise that cloud computing is the way of the future, we’re looking at the idea of going a step further and talking about private cloud storage. When you use traditional cloud storage, your data is kept in a faraway location alongside that of thousands of other organisations.

Only your company and authorised individuals have access to the data in a private cloud. Let’s take a look at the six main advantages of storing data in a private cloud.

Improved security The safety of sensitive data kept on the internet is a serious concern. You’ve probably heard of data breaches, some of which involved major businesses, demonstrating that no one is completely protected. Utilizing the cloud for storage, on the other hand, increases security – much more so when using a private cloud storage system. This makes sense since, in a conventional cloud system, your data is shared with others, but with a private cloud, the servers and storage are only used by you. As a result, your security will be as good as it can be.

Enhanced flexibility We define flexibility as the capacity to store a wide range of data without using expensive hard drive space, as well as the ability to access and use it more readily.

There’s also no risk of a cloud storage system failing mechanically, as hard drives do occasionally because backups are performed automatically with a private cloud system. Your staff has more time on their hands to focus on their work rather than worrying about IT issues.

Cost reductions When you migrate to private cloud storage, the expense of maintaining physical servers for storing your data is drastically reduced.

You won’t need to hire an IT crew, and you won’t have to spend a lot of money on pricey computer storage. The private cloud will save money by utilising previously existing servers in a remote location. You’ll probably have to pay a monthly charge for the preservation and administration of your data, which will help you save even more money.

Resource optimization There are further advantages to utilising the computer gear you currently have onsite. You free up memory by not storing anything on the disc, which may improve the speed and performance of your system.

Additionally, with less time spent on everyday IT requirements, your staff is free to focus on the tasks for which they were hired. Also, as previously said, the

As previously said, data privacy is a major problem for organisations of all types and sizes 36

DAWN

September 2021

need to spend money on the purchase and maintenance of previously necessary gear is no longer an issue, so you save money all around.

Conformity with regulations As previously said, data privacy is a major problem for organisations of all types and sizes. Employee information, such as addresses, account numbers, and even date of birth, is maintained online by companies and is tempting to hackers with malicious intentions. Not only that, but you’ll also be storing information on your suppliers, customers, and your company, which may be harmful if it falls into the wrong hands. Private cloud storage is by far the most secure method of storing this data, and it will assist you in complying with contemporary data security rules, which are stringent in many areas of commerce and business.

Managing IT services Finally, a private cloud agreement frequently includes the provision of remotely managed IT services and solutions.

This eliminates the requirement for an on-site IT crew. Without a question, IT is critical to all organisations, but it consumes a lot of time and money that may be better spent elsewhere. Outsourcing your cloud and IT management services is another way to save money while still ensuring the safety and security of all the data you and your company must keep. As you can see, a private cloud storage solution is the most cost-effective, efficient, and secure method to retain the data you need to keep your business running smoothly. It also reduces the amount of time spent on IT issues. Examine the choices in further depth to guarantee you receive a deal that saves you money and makes your life simpler.

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BIZ TIPS

BOOST YOUR SUSTAINABLE EFFORTS WITH THESE THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS

A

ccording to the 2020 Living Planet Index, the average global footprint per person is 2.5 global hectares.

This implies we're using resources at a 1.56x quicker pace than the planet can renew, resulting in the current environmental catastrophe.

Individuals, governments, and corporations must all take action to address the global climate catastrophe.

This article focuses on business activity and how environmental psychology may help businesses be more sustainable. By the conclusion of this essay, you'll have a better understanding of how the human mind can influence behaviour and shift culture. You'll discover how to use this knowledge to drive company sustainability both internally (for workers) and outside (for consumers).

What does environmental psychology entail?

Environmental psychology is the study of how humans interact with and respond to the environment. An environmental psychologist, for example, could look at why people recycle, what inspires them to buy sustainable products, or what kind of surroundings make them happy.

Psychologists have long been involved in efforts to encourage long-term habits.

Consider this: today's environmental concerns are a human problem, the outcome of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. What better approach to tackle this problem than to go inside the heads of people who are responsible?

Today's environmental concerns are a human problem, the outcome of our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The climatic catastrophe is the result of a short-term survival mentality. This kind of thinking aided us 160,000 years ago, but it is less appropriate in today's world. We are building a harsher world by depleting our natural world's resources and continuing our unrestrained consumption, which is already having a detrimental influence on our well-being. Environmental psychologists research this influence as well as the human drive to reduce it.

Sustainability psychology: 3 concepts to advance corporate efforts Organizations may utilise understanding human psychology in the context of sustainability to: • Internally, promote sustainability (aimed at employees).

• Externally, market viability (aimed at consumers).

Let's have a look at three key psychological principles that are utilised to enhance both internal and external company sustainability.

Concept #1: Proactive prosocial motivations The desire to protect and promote the well-being of others is known as prosocial motivation. Helping others for intrinsic satisfaction is self-beneficial prosocial activity.

People who are proactive in their social motivation act in ways that encourage social acceptability and camaraderie. They behave

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September 2021

BIZ TIPS

in a way that their social group approves of.

This is important.

One research, for example, attempted to minimise the energy use of a typical Canadian residence. Various messages were employed, and their efficacy was evaluated.

Messages that statistically indicated real household energy consumption were more successful in lowering consumption. This is in relation to environmental and social responsibility messaging – in this example, people decreased their energy usage to the level that a majority was said to have — unknowing that they were following societal norms (humans are not always aware of reasons for their behaviour).

Business application: Internally, it may be used to promote sustainability: Collect and present statistics indicating employee support for sustainable development — for example, If you're establishing a cycle-to-work programme, survey your employees to see how supportive they are. Then, to attract further support, show the poll results.

Externally, promoting sustainability: 74 per cent of customers are willing to pay extra for sustainable alternatives, indicating that proactive prosocial incentives are in support of sustainable solutions. Use data like these to promote your environmentally friendly product or service.

Concept #2: Self-presentation motivation Self-presentation refers to how people show themselves in order to influence or control how others see them. This, and other identity issues, may trump the desire to protect the environment — or, conversely, may motivate individuals to do more to save the environment.

Business application: Internal sustainability promotion: What are the values of your employees?

To p r o m o t e y o u r e n v i r o n m e n t a l activities, make a statement about these principles.

Externally, promote sustainability by focusing on your consumers' values. For example, most individuals want a decent quality of life for their children and future generations. Use this value to enhance longterm sustainability.

The Toyota Prius, for example, was the world's first mass-produced gasolineelectric hybrid vehicle. Its introduction in the United States in 1997 represented an attempt to bring a practical, low-emission family automobile to the market.

Concept #3: Behavioral affordances Behavioural affordances are characteristics of the physical environment that allow for a certain action to be taken. Some activities that enhance sustainability, for example, are not always feasible. One such impediment is the cost.

The Honda Civic hybrid debuted at the same time. This was the first hybrid vehicle to receive the Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle certification.

However, the Prius hampered its success.

Even when activities are physically achievable, a lack of knowledge about how to carry them out might prevent them from being carried out. The reason for acting is immaterial in either situation.

According to a poll conducted by the New York Times, the main reason for individuals preferring the Prius over the Honda Civic is that the former's marketing efforts "make a statement about them." Individuals gained the self-perception they desired as environmentally concerned customers as a result of this.

For example, when there are no garbage cans, littering is more prevalent, riding the bus is problematic due to irregular and inconsistent service, and organic fruit is unavailable.

When leaded gasoline is no longer accessible, people will switch to unleaded fuel, and they

will learn to bring reusable bags when nonreusable bags are not available.

Business application: Internally, promote sustainability: Allow employees to regulate workplace heating with programmable thermostats, for example, to make sustainable decisions simple for them.

Examine how existing sustainability-related behaviour is made simple or complex, and think about what simple modifications may be done to make it easier.

Externally, promote sustainability by making your product/service the sustainable option for your customers – for example, use less packaging. Allow customers to make an educated purchasing decision by being completely upfront about your environmental effect.

Regularly conduct environmental audits, follow ISO 14001 requirements to collect accurate environmental data, and prevent greenwashing.

Understanding human thought processes may impact the adoption of sustainable behaviours and enhance business sustainability, as seen by the three principles provided above. Consider the signals you're sending as a company and how you might improve them to empower workers and customers to generate longterm growth.

September 2021

DAWN 39

BIZ TIPS

THIS IS HOW YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL CAREER WILL PAY OFF

D

id you know that for most entrepreneurs, the day they sell their firm brings in more than half of all the money they will make? It’s fantastic to be your boss, but there will come a time when you want to move on to your next adventure.

Billion-dollar software companies aren’t the only businesses being bought these days.

Investors are salivating at the prospect of purchasing a company like yours. Thrasio, an Amazon company acquirer, just set a new record for the quickest unicorn, and other acquisition businesses like Boosted and Perch are snatching up well-oiled enterprises left and right. If your numbers are correct and tight, you might be on your way to a big payout.

Last year, a record amount of trademark applications were filed, indicating that more individuals are starting businesses and brands than ever before. While some of these businesses will go on to become unicorns, the majority will fail. But what about the ones in the middle who establish a great firm and then get bought out?

And what do you need for your company to be appealing to investors and receive a decent offer?

EXITpreneurs are business owners who are ready to go to any length to position their company for acquisition, and they are generally energised by the bootstrap-grow-

sell-repeat cycle. If you’re in this situation, you must understand how business valuations operate.

Business Valuation: Know How It’s Done “Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity,” as Dave Bryant of EcomCrew puts it. In business, it’s simple to calculate top-line revenue, and these figures are frequently quoted in case studies and other fancy marketing materials.

Buyers, on the other hand, are less interested in revenue. Profit is far more important to them. Profit, on the other hand, needs a lot more effort to calculate properly. Cash flow and the seller’s discretionary profits will also be scrutinised by buyers. If you plan to sell your firm in the future, a good bookkeeper is a must-have piece of the jigsaw. When it comes to buying a firm, buyers seek four things, whether they realise it or not. These four things, which we refer to as the four pillars, are:

1. Risk A firm that is less than three to five years old or operates in a quickly changing market is more vulnerable. This is to be expected, as investors anticipate a younger company to be more volatile. If you own a small business and want to sell it, make sure you have all of the other pillars in place so you can make a compelling argument. Risk considerations include a company’s size, age, competitiveness, and defensibility,

A firm that is less than three to five years old or operates in a quickly changing market is more vulnerable

which refers to how high a competitor’s barrier to entry is in your market.

2. Growth Why should anyone give you their hardearned money in return for this business?

Consider your value proposition carefully at this point. Consider how you can make your buyer’s life simpler after they take over the steering wheel. Although obvious measures like top-line revenue and profit margin are essential, other aspects such as transition ease are given more weight than you might expect. If you’ve identified new product SKUs that will create significant income in the future, that positioning is appealing to someone looking for a strong return on investment.

3. Transferability A transfer of goods is referred to as a sale.

Is it possible for the buyer to manage the firm in the same way that you have? The apparent problem here is firms based on a personal brand - no one else can be you, so if you’re the business, anticipate a more difficult exit and remain the name and face of the company long after it’s no longer yours. Other aspects of transferability to consider are workforce, supply chain, and workload. If you work 80 hours a week to operate your firm, a buyer is unlikely to be interested, which means they’ll have to outsource more work, increasing expense and risk. If you ever want to sell your firm, make your position as transferrable as feasible.

4. Documentation Every entrepreneur who desires to be an EXITpreneur may get started right now. A buyer will not consider a company unless it has detailed documentation and reporting.

The most crucial thing to put in place is financial paperwork, although established standard operating procedures (SOPs) and contracts are also essential. Another reason you’ll need a decent bookkeeper is that most e-commerce companies that are bought out utilise accrual accounting rather than cash accounting. Accrual accounting provides a more realistic image of actual business earnings, which is what investors will look for when deciding whether or not to purchase your company.

It may be frightening to sell a business, and many entrepreneurs miss out on one of their greatest paydays because they never execute on their exit strategy. Put these four foundations into action right now, and you’ll be on your way to a spectacular sale.

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September 2021

BIZ TIPS

YOUR STARTUP CAN BENEFIT FROM SAYING “NO”

T

he word “no” has a heaviness and a negative meaning in general. We’re taught from a young age that the word “yes” — or its affirmative counterpart — is preferable. When we enter the workforce, this dualism is reinforced even more. We all want to impress our peers, management, clients, and customers, therefore it’s understandable that we want to prove ourselves.

You’re ambitious as a new entrepreneur, constantly striving to prove yourself. We strive to wear a variety of hats to acquire as much exposure and experience as feasible.

We prefer to achieve this by saying “yes” to nearly every request we get.

However, as our careers progress and our businesses grow, the instinctive “yes” may lead you down a perilous path – one that will damage you more than it will benefit others. As an entrepreneur and leader, as well as a productive member of society at large, being deliberate with your time, energy, and effort, is important.

Here are three reasons why saying “no,” which is frequently frowned upon and rarely practised, may help you achieve great business outcomes.

The more success you have in business, the more possibilities and demands you will receive accept every offer, every candidate, and every collaboration, your company is likely to become lost in the crowd.

However, being deliberate in your use of the word “no” does not imply that you must keep yourself or your company locked off.

Instead, make the most of the word “no.”

It may be used to create a clear competitive proposition for your business. Use the word “no” wisely to keep yourself and your team focused on the company’s genuine goal.

Saying “no” essentially implies “yes” to something else, something that is ultimately better for you and your company.

2. Reducing the risk of missed opportunities The more success you have in business, the more possibilities and demands you will receive. With this comes the reality of having to make difficult choices. Is it necessary to recruit a chief of staff for your business?

Are you going to approve a marketing budget increase? Will you meet with every potential customer? These are the questions you’ll have to address as an entrepreneur.

If you always say “yes” in most situations, the result might be disastrous for your business. Shiny object syndrome is easy to fall prey to, but new isn’t necessarily better. For example, you could say “yes” to a good chance while passing up a better one. Of course, no one can foretell the future, but being alert, conducting due diligence, and being deliberate in what you say “yes” or “no” to may make a difference.

As a successful leader, you must learn to be more discriminating. At the end of the day, greatness is the adversary of good.

This may be accomplished by being selective in those you hire, partner with, and ultimately serve. This approach will help you stay competitive in the marketplace by allowing you to develop a clear and distinct consumer value offer. Alternatively, if you

3. Clearly defines individual and professional boundaries There’s a common misconception that becoming a successful entrepreneur necessitates making unthinkable sacrifices.

You must give up everything to make your

1. You gain a distinct competitive advantage It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying “yes” to everything whether you’re a startup or a business leader in the early stages. You want to set the road for your company’s success, and that frequently means keeping an open mind, examining your alternatives, and taking on new challenges. As a result, many young entrepreneurs are wary about saying “no.”

goals a reality. While you will have to make difficult decisions that will undoubtedly result in sacrifices, you should not have to sacrifice the things that are most important to you. Saying “no” is about prioritising identifying and focusing on what matters most to you.

Let’s assume you’re leaning toward saying “yes” - what are some questions you can ask yourself to be sure you’re making the greatest option for you and your company? v Do you have the financial and time resources to answer “yes”? v If so, how much time will it take away from other, more pressing or important tasks? v Is the project appropriate for your company’s goal and, ultimately, vision? v Is answering “yes” going to jeopardise any of your company’s key values? v What are you willing to give up to work on this project or venture?

Decisions are the foundation of both business and life. A basic step you may take to carve out real entrepreneurial success is to be aware of when you say “yes” and “no.” Rewire your thinking to get rid of the negative connotation that the word “no” has. Recognize that saying “yes” in the wrong situations can have far-reaching consequences. So, what would you say the next time you have to make a crucial business decision?

September 2021

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BIZ TIPS

CONSUMERS CRAVE FUN AND NOVELTY IN 2021

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hen the pandemic struck, most firms immediately adjusted their strategies. This entailed a lot of retrenchment in many businesses, such as cutting back on services or focusing on essentials for shops. So, while there was a lot of innovation in how businesses served their consumers, there was a pause in the development of new items.

According to Paul Earle, this tendency is coming to an end. Earle, an adjunct lecturer of innovation and entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management with extensive experience in a new brand and business development, believes that the coming year holds a lot of promise for companies looking to innovate, thanks to a convergence of new needs, new habits, and a sense of relief and openness.

“The booming twenties followed the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 and 1919,” he continues. “I believe we will see a tremendous desire for new experiences, for things that are enjoyable, sociable, and bring people together once again.”

“We've been in a state of flux for over a year,” Earle says, “and the desire for new ideas, new experiences, new goods, new brands, new designs, new cuisine, and new home products will be resurgent.” Buying uninteresting goods in large quantities is aberrant behaviour, and that job is about to end.”He advises brands to start planning for this change immediately. “To add news and excitement to all of their different product categories, retailers need to start offering a larger selection,” he says. “The ‘same old, same old' tactic is a terrible one.”

Kindness Will Be on the Rise Consumers will be lured to products that promise warmth and kindness, according to Earle.

“We'll see a demand for new products and services of all types that are lighter, make us smile, and connect us in new ways,” he predicts. “ Through this epidemic, we've learnt that we're all in this together. We're all intertwined. And it'd be a wonderful thing if we could be as pleasant to ourselves and our neighbours as possible.”

Consider last year's rush on holiday lights and Christmas trees, which happened because customers stayed close to home and wanted to do something to brighten up their relatives and friends. Some Chicago communities, for example, worked together to adorn whole blocks with festive arches.

Earle cautions against ignoring this desire for compassion as a purely sentimental act.

Rather, he sees it as a potential development sector that firms should consider when developing new goods and services.

Not every new concept needs to be revolutionary. Earle and his family recently witnessed this small-bore innovation in action when they ordered Domino's pizza and the delivery person popped out a tiny cardboard platform to lay the pie close to the front door so it wouldn't get cold on the doorstep.

He says, "That's simply a wonderful idea—it probably didn't cost them much, it's simple to implement, it's a creative solution, and it just makes you grin." “People like it when businesses use their imagination to come up with novel methods to improve their

What could this look like in practice? Earle offers three forecasts for the next year.

Consumers Will Want More Than Staples Customers were searching for comfort in the early days of the epidemic, possibly as a psychological response to the terrifying prospect of a contagious illness in our midst.

Well-known businesses have responded by doubling down on their core items as a result of this customer attitude. Indeed, a new study indicates that our desire for familiar items is fueled by our fear of infectious disease.

“We were concerned as an innovation community that is all about developing what's next,” Earle recalls, “because we were watching individuals walk out of Costco with enormous amounts of Scott toilet paper, Bud Light, and Kraft mac and cheese.” “These aren't exactly cuttingedge items,” he says. ‘Is it all over now?' I wondered at first. Is it safe to say that the incumbents have finally won?'

Earle, on the other hand, envisions the pendulum swinging back in 2021 when social and cultural fears fade and the COVID epidemic is contained.

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Consumers will be lured to products that promise warmth and kindness, according to Earle

September 2021

BIZ TIPS

experience. I salute Domino's for providing a cardboard pizza stand. “Well done, you guys.”

Earle also predicts that in the next years, the focus on minimising waste and being a responsible member of a connected society will result in a surge of extremely functional minimalist items.

Shower and bath manufacturers, for example, send tonnes of water-dense goods in single-use plastic, according to him. Earle has created a relationship with Stephanie Farsht, a Kellogg faculty member, and an R&D specialist to shift this dynamic using concentrates and recyclable packaging.

Earle adds, "We've all learned how to be more diligent and careful in what we buy, how we buy, and even how we store things at home." “We're going to be more frugal.

I don't want to be a product that is large, heavy, or damaging to the environment in the future. It's tone-deaf and will seem ridiculous in retrospect.”

We Need New Solutions to New Problems Finally, Earle expects tremendous innovation in how businesses operate and interact with customers to continue.

Earle states, “Most innovations were designed to answer a problem, typically one that the creator had personally experienced.” “Right now, people are

Aside from vaccination logistics, the pandemic has caused a major adjustment in how services are delivered dealing with a lot of issues, which will lead to a lot of solutions.”

Many of these advancements are a direct result of COVID. Innovation has been happening across the economy, from the rush to develop a vaccine to revamping supply networks to distribute hundreds of millions of doses as rapidly as feasible.

“It's not just the liquid in the vial, which is a scientific miracle in and of itself,” Earle adds. “CVS now has a full refrigerator farm, which was practically built overnight to store vaccinations. It's fantastic to see how science, innovation, hard work, and entrepreneurship have all been used to tackle all of these very horrific problems.”

Aside from vaccination logistics, the pandemic has caused a major adjustment in how services are delivered. Many of these changes will be with us for a long time. For example, Earle sees the emergence of telemedicine as a necessary and long-term adaptation. While the days of cooling off in a clinic waiting room aren't gone—there are still some things physicians

must perform in-person—aspects of healthcare are already being modified for a virtual future.

Companies in areas such as sports and live events are being forced to innovate as they attempt to re-engage audiences. Even if the vaccine becomes more widely accessible in the United States, there will still be several safety issues associated with large crowds.

Earle says, "Think of Wrigley Field." “The Cubs want to get folks back without causing too much traffic congestion. As a result, on their way in, they'll design quick temperature checks for fans. And there is already technology that allows drones to fly through all of the seats and clean them before the arrival of passengers.”

Earle predicts that “we'll see all kinds of innovative, creative programmes, goods, and services that we never would have imagined.” “That should make us feel good about our abilities to be resilient and inventive in the face of adversity as individuals. For an entrepreneur, every issue is an opportunity to solve.”

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he Awardz is an independent award program it is an initiative by Observer Dawn magazine. The Awardz aims to recognize and reward excellence across private, public and charity sectors. Open to organizations of any size and individuals, based anywhere in the world, entries are encouraged from those who feel they are working smarter to create a business edge.

International Business Awards (IBA), The Indian Realty Awards (IRA), and Pride Awards (PA) bring together the most successful and influential visionaries, manufacturers, consumer and business experts and the industry’s powerful decision-makers on one mega platform as a means to Indian Business enlightenment.

Visit www.theawardz.com

ARTICLE

TRANSITION TOWARDS

RENEWABLE SECTOR Thermal generation has remained the mainstay of India’s power mix for past many decades. Out of the total installed capacity of 386 GW in July 2021, Thermal projects form 61 per cent of the overall installed capacity, followed by 25 per cent from renewable projects, 12 per cent by hydro projects and about 2 per cent from the nuclear projects.

HIMANSHU SINGH - Assistant Manager Power Finance Corporation Ltd

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he history of human evolution rest on the availability and use of energy. It is the basis of all the fundamental things like lighting, cooling, heating, etc. Today, electricity consumption can also help unravel the trends of growth in a country.

For achieving these targets, India has set a target of setting up 175 GW by 2022 of which it has achieved approximately 100 GW. The government has also increased the target to 450 GW by 2030.

A transition to renewables from fossil helps has linkage with other sector too.

India being a growing economy has witnessed growth in Electricity demand over the past few decades. The per capita consumption of electricity has increased from 805 KWhr in 2014 to 1208 Kwhr in 2019. It can be seen against the world average of 3018 KWhr in 2019, which signify a large scope of growth in the years to come.

Shift to renewables also help save coal imports.

Last year, coal worth INR 1.71 lakh Crore was imported which could be saved. Additionally, India has nearly 29 per cent or 96.40 million hectare degraded land which is not fertile. It can be utilized for setting up renewable projects. This is true for states like Rajasthan where terrain makes setting up other industries difficult but are rich in renewable resources.In the transportation sector, shift to electric vehicle reduce the dependence of the country to the imported crude oil and help attain self-sufficiency in the energy.

Thermal generation has remained the mainstay of India’s power mix for past many decades. Out of the total installed capacity of 386 GW in July 2021, Thermal projects form 61 per cent of the overall installed capacity, followed by 25 per cent from renewable projects, 12 per cent by hydro projects and about 2 per cent from the nuclear projects.

India recognizesthe threatof having such large dependence on thermal projects including the emission of Green House Gases (GHGs) and its potential impact on climate change. India has therefore set itself an ambitious target for the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), for committing to the Paris agreement, which includes: • 40 per cent of its total electricity generation from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 • reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 percent by 2030, below 2005 levels • additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 through additional forests by 2030

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In the agriculture sector, shift from diesel pumps to solar pumps can help reduce emission, improve viability of the distribution companies, a decentralized grid connection to these can provide an alternative income to the farmers.

PMKisan Urja Suraksha evamUtthaanMahabhiyan (KUSUM) schemeaims to add decentralized solar power production of 30.8 MW by 2022 and install two million standalone solar powered agriculture pumps.

Thetransition is driven by some inherent advantages of renewables. The variable cost of the plant is zero as they do not require any fuel to run. The fixed cost is also decreasing owing to improvement of technologies which improves capacity utilizing factor and economies of scale. Further, solar power plants have few moving parts leading to lower mechanical wear and tear and hence lower

ARTICLE

This is valid especially for solar and wind projects where energy fluctuation is daily and also seasonal in nature respectively. This also create problem grid stabilization.

Also, domestic manufacturing of the equipment is not present leading to a lack of integration in the value chain. India does not have large Research and development investmentand equipment is typically imported. According to the Standing committee on Energy LS- 2019-20, India imported solar wafers, cells, modules, and inverters worth USD 2.5 billion.To ensure the mass adoption of renewables one has to solve the above challenges.

The problem of intermittency and grid stabilisation can be tackled by battery storage, hybrid plants and renewable energy corridor. Research on new battery technologies like lithium-sulfur, solid-state batteries, air-cooled batteries etc. is underway globally. In India, industry is investing in this space with Reliance Industries acquisition of US-based energy storage startup Ambri, TATA power has commissioned 10 MW battery storage plant in Delhi. Further, TATA power is setting up battery storage of 50 MWhr in Leh. Government of India is also planning to set up energy storage at regional load dispatch centers.

operational and maintenance costs. Wind power plants require less land to operate. Biomass and MSW power plants solve the problem of urban waste management as well as electricity.

The government has greatly incentivized renewable energy. The support includes waiving off of interstate transmission system tariff, giving mustrun status to renewable projects, Renewable purchase obligation, Carbon trading mechanism, etc.

Also, renewable projects are able to achieve financial Closure relatively simpler than conventional projects considering their short gestation period, tier up power sale arrangements, smaller debt requirements as compared to conventional projects and also availability of funds from internal markets.

Among the various instruments, green bonds has been a popular way for financing renewable power projects. Green bond was first issued by Yes Bank in 2015 and steadily increasing to overall capital mix of the companies owing to lower rates. In Feb 2020, the total outstanding green bond was 16 billion USD. Other than green bonds, Banks and NBFC provides loans. PFC, REC, IREDA, SBI, etc, has a presence across the value chain of renewables.

PFC has supported renewables with loans of INR 37,000 Crore as of 31st March 2021.

However the transition is far from complete.

Despite, renewable projects contributing about 25 per cent of India’s installed capacity, the actual contribution of the renewables in the energy market is approx. 8 per cent of the peak capacity.

This is primarily due to intermittencyin generation.

This creates a problem as the energy generated is dependent on the external weather scenario.

Hybrid plants like solar hydro, wind hydro, wind solar, etc. are coming up. Construction of 30 GW wind solar plant in kutch, Gujrat started recently.

Moreover, green energy corridor which aims at synchronizing electricity produced from renewable sources, like solar, wind, etc. Nearly 6258 km of transmission lines have been constructed.

For making an integrated environment, setting up of domestic module manufacturing unit is an imperative. AtamNirbhar Bharat program has given impetus to the manufacturing of power equipment.

Government has introduced Production Linked Incentive scheme where it plans to spend INR 4,500 Crore to add capacity of 10 GW of integrated solar panel manufacturing.

Renewables is a still a nascent technology. Different forms of renewables are in development stage globally. Concepts like decentralized solar which helps charge the electric vehicles which can inturn power small grid is being tested. Grid level battery packs are underpilot program. Green hydrogen technology is starting to find usage in transport, heating in UK, USA, etc.

The problem of intermittency and grid stabilisation can be tackled by battery storage, hybrid plants and renewable energy corridor.

Research on new battery technologies like lithiumsulfur, solid-state batteries, air-cooled batteries etc. is underway globally.

The government has taken steps in this regards.

Rooftop Solar target of 40 GW by 2022 is being envisaged in National Solar Mission. For the movement towards electric vehicle INR 10,000 Crore allocation to the FAME-II scheme is being made. National Hydrogen Mission is being announced to emphasis on Research and development and use cases in fertilizer industry and petrol and refining.

Renewables would basis for achieving sustainable development, preventing climate change, building self-sufficiency in energy. Thus, transition is not a choice but a necessity.

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SPECIAL STORY

CHANGING INDIA'S

ENERGY MIX TO GREEN ENERGY

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limate change has resurfaced as a foundation of the United States' partnership with India since Joe Biden assumed office as president. It was revealed during a recent online conference of the Quad countries' chiefs of state — Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

“We will form a climate working group to boost climate efforts worldwide on mitigation, adaptation, resilience, technology, capacitybuilding, and climate finance,” the leaders said in a joint statement. Our specialists and top officials will meet on a regular basis, and our foreign ministers will meet at least once a year.

By the end of 2021, we will have an in-person meeting for leaders.”

Climate change was raised as a topic of conversation during the first major meeting (although virtual) between the US president and the Indian prime minister. However, this

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isn't the first time that climate change has been used to break the ice between the two leaders.

In March 2000, then-US president Bill Clinton paid a visit to India at a time when bilateral relations were only beginning to warm up following the economic sanctions put on India following the nuclear tests at Pokharan in May 1998. Despite predictions that Clinton would speak about defence and security, there were signs that the focus will be on green diplomacy.

Clinton unveiled a package of green assistance while speaking in the foreground of the Taj Mahal, confirming this prediction. What impact would pollution have on children if Taj's walls might acquire "marble cancer," he questioned while vowing support for power sector reforms, clean and renewable energy, and energy efficiency. When Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the United States later in 2000, the green diplomacy continued.

SPECIAL STORY

The Paris Agreement, India has been steadily increasing the growth rate of renewable energy in comparison to conventional energy, as part of its INDC pledge.

However, the circumstances between 2000 and Parties (COP) in Paris. It pledged to reduce 2021 have changed drastically. India's carbon the emissions intensity of its Gross Domestic dioxide emissions in 2000 were 0.97 billion Product (GDP) by 33 to 35 per cent from tonnes (BT), whereas the United States were 2005 levels by 2030. To increase the share 6 BT, according to statistics gathered by the of renewable energy in the country, it was Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center planned that by 2030, non-fossil fuel-based (CDIAC). India's emissions increased to 2.62 BT energy resources would account for roughly 40 in 2019 (the most recent statistics per cent of total electric power available), whereas the United installed capacity. By 2030, an States' emissions decreased to extra carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 India 5.28 BT. In terms of per capita billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent declared its CO2 emissions, India had 0.93 will be generated through anticipated tonnes in 2000, while the United increased forest and tree cover, States had 21.29 tonnes, which boosting carbon sequestration. nationally had changed to 1.91 tonnes and The INDC commits to generating determined 16.06 tonnes in 2019.

175 gigawatts (GW) of electricity contributions capacity from renewable sources for emission by 2022. Prime Minister Narendra The United States was one of reduction Modi vowed to go beyond the the nations with binding emission on October 175 GW planned for 2022 and reduction objectives under the subsequently up to 450 GW Climate Change Convention in 2, 2015, at the United Nations General 2000, but India did not. The Kyoto before the Secretary's Climate Action Protocol allowed the two nations Conference of Summit on September 23, 2019. to work together under the Clean Parties (COP) Development Mechanism, which in Paris allowed the United States to get Since the Paris Agreement, India carbon credits for its mitigation has been steadily increasing the and adaptation efforts in India. growth rate of renewable energy in comparison to conventional energy, as part of its INDC pledge. While the relative growth However, by 2021, India will be just as dedicated percentages for renewable and conventional to reducing emissions as the United States. energy in 2015-16 were 6.47 per cent and 5.64 Even though it was self-mandated through the per cent, respectively, in 2019-20, they were planned nationally decided contributions, the 9.12 per cent and 0.12 per cent. The renewable Paris Agreement of December 2015 obligated energy sector grew at an annual pace of about every country to establish emission reduction 24 per cent between 2016-17 and 2018-19. objectives (INDCs). Climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives give an excellent opportunity for diplomatic and corporate According to statistics from the Ministry of cooperation in the altered paradigm, where Power, India has a total installed capacity of India has big energy transformation goals.

379.13 GW by the end of February 2021.

Thermal power capacity accounts for 233.17 GW (61.5 per cent), hydropower for 46.20 GW The energy transition in India (12.19 per cent), nuclear power for 6.78 GW India declared its anticipated nationally (1.79 per cent), and renewable energy for 92.97 determined contributions for emission reduction GW (24.52 per cent). on October 2, 2015, before the Conference of

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SPECIAL STORY

A look ahead to 2040 The epidemic has slowed India's energy consumption growth, according to the India Energy Outlook 2021. It was previously predicted that demand will increase by 50 per cent between 2019 and 2030.

However, it is currently more in the region of 35 per cent. “By 2040, India will have the highest growth in energy consumption of any country due to its growing economy, population, urbanisation, and industrialization.”

Solar power, according to the research, will surpass coal's proportion of the energy mix in the next two decades, indicating a rapid growth trajectory. India might become a worldwide leader in battery storage as a result of this increased emphasis on stable grids and other sources of flexibility. All of these would assist the government meet its INDC target of using non-fossil fuels for 40 per cent of energy output. Renewable energy is expected to account for 60 per cent of total energy consumption, according to the research.

generation in relation to the maximum power available) for thermal power plants have fallen from 77.5 per cent in 2009-2010 to 55.99 per cent in 2019-20. The energy deficit — the gap between the country's energy demands and its energy output — fell from 10.1 per cent in 2009-10 to 0.5 per cent in 2019-20 throughout the same time period. Thus, even if thermal power plants have produced less in terms of capacity over the last ten years, the energy deficit has not increased, showing that alternative energy sources have developed to cover the void and even created additional space.

Legacy and new issues might lose Green's shine The traditional view of the energy transition is that it is a good environmental shift when fossil-fuel-based energy generation is replaced with renewable energy. This is only true on the surface because the shift not only continues certain historical difficulties but also adds new ones. As a result, India is on the verge of a worldwide change, with the potential and responsibility of making the process ecologically and socially just.

When a country the size of India, with a population of over 1.3 billion people, embarks on an energy transformation, it draws international attention. The International Energy Agency's India Energy Outlook 2021 study notes, "As the world considers methods to accelerate the speed of transition in the energy sector, India is in a unique position to pioneer a new paradigm for low-carbon, inclusive growth." The study emphasises that government actions will shape India's energy destiny.

One step forward, two steps back?

The signals are mixed in this area of government policy. While the national government encourages the use of renewable energy, fossil fuels are also receiving greater governmental backing.

Measures to privatise and authorise commercial coal mining were undertaken as part of a package to aid the country's recovery from the Covid-19 lockdowninduced economic catastrophe.

The government also announced structural changes in the mining industry to make it easier to do business and to reduce the time it takes to get an Environmental Impact Assessment notification. More coal is being dug, and thermal power facilities are being pushed to use domestic coal.

Mining changes, such as the establishment of a single-window clearance system and the easing of public hearings for legacy mines, have been implemented. Overall, the message appears to encourage further coal mining.

The government is promoting coal despite the fact that the plant load factor (power

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The United States was one of the nations with binding emission reduction objectives under the Climate Change Convention in 2000, but India did not.

Land disputes will persist unless precautions are taken, as solar photovoltaic electricity is expected to supplant thermal power in the future decades. A 1,000 megawatt (MW) thermal power plant utilising indigenous coal would require 574 hectares, according to a 2007 Central Electricity Authority assessment (1,420 acres). If the power plant employs imported coal and is located near the shore, the risk is considerably reduced.

In comparison, each megawatt (MW) of solar photovoltaic takes 2.5 hectares of land, according to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. Because the packing density of wind and biomass is lower than that of solar, the land need is higher. According to recent research published in Scientific Reports by the Nature Group, if solar energy accounts for

September 2021

54 per cent of India's total energy output by 2050, it will take 0.7 per cent to 0.9 per cent of the country's entire geographical area.

The energy shift in India will put more strain on the land than the thermal energy it will replace. This might imply a larger conversion of agricultural areas, biodiversity-rich regions, or sites set aside for other development purposes. It might also lead to further land disputes.

Installing solar panels on roofs can minimise the amount of land needed, but decentralised energy gathering and delivery could pose more management challenges.

Furthermore, only utility-scale solar power aggregation can assist India in making the large-scale change that it requires.

The notion of anchoring solar photovoltaic panels on aquatic bodies is a relatively recent outgrowth. As a result, environmental issues may arise.

Renewable energy initiatives may also be an option for addressing underlying environmental concerns. For example, the international airport in Kochi, Kerala, is shown as a completely solar-powered facility. Despite its accomplishment, the airport was inundated during the storms of 2018 and 2019, forcing all relief and rescue operations to be conducted from the smaller naval airport. The airport is built on reclaimed paddy fields at a bend in the Periyar River, making it flood-prone and hence a non-climate resilient construction.

Another issue that India faces as it pursues large-scale adoption of electric vehicles is maintaining a clean battery supply chain.

Growth with sustainability and equity Given that India's energy development is still in its early stages, the switch to renewable energy can help keep the country's greenhouse gas emissions from skyrocketing. Reduced emissions might result in lower average temperature rises over the subcontinent, smaller changes in agricultural output, and fewer and less severe extreme weather occurrences.

These are definitely outcomes to strive towards. However, the methods of transition are just as essential as the ultimate result, and this is both an opportunity and a difficulty. Green may not be what the country aims for if energy transition objectives are met without taking into account negative environmental and social consequences. The task at hand is to perfect the procedure. In the next decades, this is the chance for India's growth to be both sustainable and equitable.

IN-DEPTH

PRESIDENT BIDEN LOOKS AT HIS TENURE’S FIRST SUMMER HOLIDAY

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ven after over six months of work amid fighting the deadly coronavirus, discussing a bipartisan development bill and mending the United States image abroad, President Joe Biden, must be heading out on holiday and a traditional holiday break from Washington. But with legislative work on the infrastructure bill has kept the Senate in session for a second straight, Biden had not gone far but he was at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, as he did all these. Stressing that presidents cannot ever really tune out, the White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that most of the presidents often worked, it hardly meant where they were. President, Biden must spend some time at the White House before he decamps again, either for Delaware — he owns homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach. The incumbent president was not at all free from work, tethered by secure telephone lines and other technology with a coterie of top aides and advisers often closed by.

As such, like his predecessors, Biden travelled with a large entourage of aides, Secret Service agents and journalists in an instantly recognizable motorcade of over a dozen dark vehicles.

Although, the work goes on 24/7, the presidents can or even often change their surroundings, particularly when month witnesses growing and humidity and Washington empties out. Former president, George W. Bush, mostly spent the month of August clearing brush in the 100-degree heat that baked his central Texas ranch.

Barack Obama functioned on his golf game on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard. Smilarly, Donald Trump spent time at his home on his private golf club in central New Jersey. In spite of being in vacation, none of the presidents ignored receiving briefings on national security, the finance and the other serious issues, attending to matters of state and mapping out future plans.

Likewise, Biden and his aides have also resolved to converse relevant issues, comprising getting the USD1 trillion infrastructure bill through the Senate, strategizing next steps to counter surging the deadly coronavirus infections and

presidential election, a loss he has refused to acknowledge.

The first impeachment trial of Trump spread over his 2019 Christmas holidays at his private Mara-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

looking into the given deadline for the United States’ pullout from Afghanistan. The director of Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, Jeffrey Engel, said that he would say a vacation for a president really meant working two-thirds of a day as were opposed. He also offered them a little bit more time for a round of golf in the afternoon or for lounging on a beach for a few hours. Engel added, “The presidents are never off duty”.

For example, Bush would sort of symbolize the vacation by having his regular morning security briefing at 8 a.m. instead of at 7 a.m.

As such, no crises would turn over trip of Biden, as he decided to leave Washington for longer than a weekend. The first impeachment trial of Trump spread over his 2019 Christmas holidays at his private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

He spent much of his final winter holiday in office stewing over his defeat in the 2020

Obama disrupted his Christmas vacation in Hawaii in 2012 to return to Washington when he was not able to negotiate a compromise with Congress to avoid acrossthe-board tax increases. Then he flew back to Honolulu to rejoin first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters. He replied to the beheading of American journalist, James Foley, by Islamic State militants during the summer vacation of his family on Vineyard of Martha in 2014.

George W. Bush was at his Texas ranch when Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans in late August 2005. Bill Clinton ordered airstrikes against al-Qaida terrorists from Martha’s Vineyard in response to the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. President George H.W. Bush, chalked out the United States reply to the invasion of Saddam Hussein in Kuwait in the year 1990 from his family’s oceanfront compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.

As such, while being at home in Wilmington, Biden ventured out to play golf, attend Mass and head to his sister’s Pennsylvania home for family dinner. He has been to the home in Rehoboth Beach just once so far, spending several days there with first lady Jill Biden in early June to celebrate her 70th birthday.

They rode bicycles on a nearby trail. It was unclear whether Biden will get more time at the beach this summer.

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IN-DEPTH

POLICE SEARCHES JOURNALIST’S HOUSE IN RUSSIA

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he Russian police had in the last week of July 2021 searched the house of the Editor In-Chief of an investigative news site, which was recently chosen as a Foreign Agent’. The fresh move of the authorities is meant to put pressure on the freedom of media, ahead of the scheduled parliamentary elections in the country. The occurrence came into light only after the Editor In-Chief of the Insider news site, Roman Dobrokhotov, tweeted that the police were knocking his door and his wife reported the raid to the OVD-Info legal aid group before her phone turned inaccessible.

Pravozashchita Otkrytki, an advocate from a legal aid group headed the apartment of Dobrokhotov. “The police seized cell phones, laptops and tablets during the raid. They also seized passport of Dobrokhotov. A journalist from the Insider, Sergei Yezhov, said that Dobrokhotov was likely to visit outside of Russia on July 28, 2021. Police also raided the parents’ home of Dobrokhotov. Dobrokhotov was taken to police custody for interrogation & then released, after the raid. Dobrokhotov said that it would become more difficult to work. “I do not have cell phones, I can’t travel and meet my colleagues”, he added.

The Insider Report revealed that the Russian opposition party supporters, independent journalists and human rights activists were facing widespread pressure from the Government ahead of the upcoming elections that is largely being witnessed as vital part of the effort of the President Vladimir Putin to strengthen his rule ahead of the scheduled Presidential election in 2024. The recent constitutional changes

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that were brought by this sexagenarian leader would allow him to continue into power until 2036. Despite, he has been in Power for the last two decades.

The government has chosen many independent media outlets and journalists as ‘foreign agents’ — a label that implies additional government scrutiny and carries strong derogatory connotations that may discredit the recipients. Out of the targeted outlets comprising VTimes and Meduza, the VTimes was subsequently shut down, citing the loss of advertisers and the Meduza launched a crowd-funding campaign after

The fresh move of the authorities is meant to put pressure on the freedom of media, ahead of the scheduled parliamentary elections in the country

encountering the same problem. The Insider was the latest addition to the list.

The news outlet, which is registered in Latvia, has worked with the investigative group Bellingcat to investigate high-profile cases, such as the nerve agent poisonings of former Russian spy Sergei Sripal and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The Justice Ministry of Russia worked under a law that often acted to designate as foreign agent to non-governmental organizations, media outlets and individuals who get

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foreign funding and engage in activities vastly termed as political. Another regulation may be used to outlaw groups deemed ‘unwanted’ and makes membership in them a criminal offense. It has been used to ban 41 groups, comprising opposition groups, foreign NGOs & recently, the publisher of Proekt, an online investigative media outlet.

The Ministry of Justice also chose two Proekt journalists and three other reporters as foreign agents. Russia used the law to levy heavy fines on the broadcasters funded by the United States Radio Free Europe for failing to recognize its objects as produced by foreign agents. The broadcaster has asked the European Court of Human Rights to intervene.

The Insider says, the raids focusing Dobrokhotov is supposed to be connected to a slander case launched in April 2021 after getting a complaint by a Dutch blogger. This media group also accused Max van der Werff of working with Russian intelligence and military services to spread false information challenging the findings of the official investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine that killed about 298 people on board. Dobrokhotov was a witness in a criminal case against some unidentified persons who were on the charges of slander, launched over a tweet in Dobrokhotov’s account containing disinformation about the downed Boeing MH-17”, the legal aid group revealed. During the last week of July, the Russian officials blocked almost 50 websites linked to the imprisoned opposition leader Navalny. It all happened almost a month after a court in Moscow outlawed Navalny’s political infrastructure — his Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of regional offices — as extremist in a ruling, which can prevent people associated with the groups from seeking public office and exposes them to lengthy prison terms. The fiercest political foe of Putin, Navalny, was arrested in January while he was returning from Germany.

IN-DEPTH

AFTER TOKYO OLYMPICS, TSIMANOUSKAYA FLIES WARSAW ON HUMANITARIAN VISA

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printer of Belarusian Olympic, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, flew into Warsaw on a humanitarian visa after leaving the Tokyo Olympics. According the Deputy Foreign Minister, Marcin Przydacz, said that the 24-year-old athlete had returned in the Polish capital after flying in from Tokyo via Vienna.

The diplomat said that he wanted to thank all the Polish consular and diplomatic staff involved that had flawlessly planned and secured her journey safe. The airbus in which she was traveling on from Vienna was directed to a different airport building in Warsaw used by government officials.

The police vehicles were witnessed across the airport. The travelers said that a young woman was left on the board soon after they came out from the plane and were put on buses to the main terminal.

Later on Tsimanouskaya was witnessed with a top Belarusian rebel in Poland, Pavel Latushko, in a photo taken just after her arrival inside the airport building. Latushko, through het Twitter handle said that they were glad that Kristina Timanovskaya had managed to get to Warsaw safely. She also added that she would be able to return to a “New Belarus” and continue her career there. Tsimanouskaya said, the Belarus team officials tried to force her to fly home soon after she criticized them. Later she appealed that the International Olympic Committee had taken into the dispute and some European Nations sought offer assistance. It is still not clear what would be the next for the runner — either in her sporting life or her personal one. Prior to leaving her Japan she hoped to continue her running career but that safety was her instant priority.

A top Austrian government official, soon after the plane of Tsimanouskaya arrived in Vienna, said that they were very happy that she was safe there. The runner, at the Vienna airport, was protected by the Austrian police officers, public broadcaster ORF reported, and stayed in the transit area. Tsimanouskaya flew first to Austria instead of directly to Poland on the advice of Polish authorities for security reasons.

The entire episode started after the criticism of Tsimanouskaya of how officials were managing her team set off a massive backlash in state-run media in Belarus, where the government has relentlessly stifled any criticism. The runner, Instagram,

The airbus in which she was traveling on from Vienna was directed to a different airport building in Warsaw used by government officials.

order, who actually took the decision that I can’t compete anymore.

A top Austrian government official, soon after the plane of Tsimanouskaya arrived in Vienna, said that they were very happy that she was safe there

said on that she was put in the 4x400 relay even though she has never raced in the event. She accused team officials of hustling her to the Tokyo airport but she refused to board a plane home and was protected

by Japanese security. “The officials made it clear that, upon return home, I would definitely face some form of punishment”, Tsimanouskaya told the media through video call from Tokyo. The sprinter called on international sports authorities to investigate the situation, who gave the

When contacted through phone, the head of the delegation of the Belarus at the Tokyo Olympics, declined to comment.

The standoff has drawn more attention to Belarus’ uncompromising authoritarian government. When the country was rocked by months of protests following a presidential election that the opposition and the West saw as rigged, authorities responded by arresting some 35,000 people and beating thousands of demonstrators.

In recent months the government has orchestrated a strong crackdown on independent media and opposition figures.

President Alexander Lukashenko has strong desire in sports, seeing it as a key point of national prestige.

Noticeably, he presided the Belarus National Olympic Committee for almost a quarter century before handing over the job to his son in February 2021. Besides, his government showed that it was willing to go to extreme lengths to target its critics.

In May 2021, Belarus authorities diverted a European passenger jet to the capital of Minsk, where they arrested an opposition journalist on board. Amid Tsimanouskaya’s rift with team officials, two other Belarusian athletes announced their intention to stay abroad. Heptathlete Yana Maksimava said she and her husband, Andrei Krauchanka, who won silver in the decathlon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, would remain in Germany.

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IN-DEPTH

OCTOGENARIAN VETERANS OF WW II REUNITE AT ITALY’S BOLOGNA AIRPORT

By Colleen Barry

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he 97-year-old World War II veteran had on August 23, 2021 met the three siblings — now octogenarians themselves — in person for the first time since the war. Adler held out his hand to grasp those of Bruno, Mafalda and Giuliana Naldi for the joyful reunion at Bologna’s airport after a 20-hour journey from Boca Raton, Florida. Then, just as he did as a 20-year-old soldier in their village of Monterenzio, he handed out bars of American chocolate. It was a happy ending to a story that could easily have been a tragedy.

The very first time the soldier and the children saw each other, in 1944, the three faces peeked out of a huge wicker basket where their mother had hidden them as soldiers approached.

Adler thought the house was empty, so he trained his machine gun on the basket when he heard a sound, thinking a German soldier was hiding inside

Adler thought the house was empty, so he trained his machine gun on the basket when he heard a sound, thinking a German soldier was hiding inside.

Meanwhile, Adher recalled, “The mother, Mamma, came out and stood right in front of my gun to stop me shooting. She put her stomach right against my gun, yelling, ‘Bambinis! Bambinis! Bambinis!’ pounded my chest”. That was a real hero, the mother, not me. The mother was a real hero. Can you imagine you standing yourself in front of a gun and screaming?

Adler still trembles when he remembers that he was only seconds away from opening fire on the basket. And after all these decades, he still suffers nightmares from the war, said his daughter, Rachelle Donley. The children, aged 3 to 6 when they met, were a happy memory. His company stayed on in the village for a while and he would come by and play with them.

Giuliana Naldi, the youngest, is the only one of the three with any recollection of the event. She recalls climbing out of the basket and seeing Adler and another U.S. soldier, who has since died. “They were laughing,’’ Naldi, now 80, remembers.

“They were happy they didn’t shoot.” She, on the other hand, didn’t quite comprehend the close call.

“We weren’t afraid for anything,’’ she said.

She also remembers the soldier’s chocolate,

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The smiling photo was then published in a local newspaper, leading to the discovery of the identities of the three children, who by then were grandparents themselves.

in another photograph. The smiling photo was then published in a local newspaper, leading to the discovery of the identities of the three children, who by then were grandparents themselves. They shared a video reunion in December, and waited until the easing of pandemic travel rules made the trans-Atlantic trip possible. “I am so happy and so proud of him. “Because, the things could have been very different in just a second. Because he hesitated, there have been generations of people”, Donley said.

which came in a blue-and-white wrapper.

“We ate so much of that chocolate,’’ she laughed. Donley decided during the COVID-19 lockdown to use social media to try to track down the children in the old black-and-white photo, starting with veterans’ groups in North America.

The serendipity isn’t lost on Giuliana Naldi’s 30-year- old granddaughter, Roberta Fontana, one of six children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who descended from the three children hidden in the wicker basket. “Knowing that Martin could have shot and that none of my family would exist is something very big,” Fontana said. “It is very emotional.”

Eventually the photo was spotted by Italian journalist Matteo Incerti who had written books on World War II. He was able to track down Adler’s regiment and where it had been stationed from a small detail

During his stay in Italy, Adler will spend some time in the village where he was stationed, before traveling on to Florence, Naples and Rome, where he hopes to meet Pope Francis.

September 2021

IN-DEPTH

MIGRANTS TERM INORDINATE DELAYS ACROSS BORDERING VILLAGES OF SERBIA

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n the first view, this small village of Serbia appears drowsy and nearly abandoned, like various others across the Balkan country. But the close view exposes a parallel facts lived by its impermanent migrant residents that are struggling to cross from Serbia over strongly guarded borders with adjacent European Union states Romania and Hungary.

With the European Union neighbors, Majdan has been one of the hubs along Serbia’s border, where migrants remain stranded for over a month while making dozens of failure efforts to cross the border and move toward the Western Europe. It summarizes their problem as they cannot go forward and cannot go back. The officials refused and the migrants reveal few stories of being constantly pushed back at the border, especially that is being termed is an illegal anti-migrant approach.

As such, the vacated buildings serve as impermanent passage for those fled their own homes in the Middle East, Africa or Asia with the motive to start fresh life in other places. Hence at present, Majdan is hosting almost 200 migrants — almost lesser than the registered population of the villages. A 24-year old Palestinian, Marsel Abohosein, said that the border was closed and it appeared a big problem across Romania. He said, “Over the past few months, I tried almost 20-30 times to cross the border but often threw back by them.

Later I was caught by Police and sent back to Serbia”. Large number of migrants moving heather and thither in scorching heat through corn or sunflower fields toward the border with Romania seems to be common

in Majdan. The determination of migrants often shows their strong willpower and capacity to work in hardship in their quest for a better future. As the border of Hungry with Serbia is powerfully fenced to prevent passage, migrants in Majdan often head towards Romania first and then Hungary from there. Large chunk of other people also stuck in Serbia and focusing for Croatia in the west, or heading towards Bosnia first and then Croatia, an EU member with a standing for police brutality against migrants that the officials had refused.

In spite of number of allegations of abuse, nations towards the rout of the migrant in Europe have rejected repulse and violence claims that are normally very tough to validate independently. One, Aadam Ahmed, a resident of Somalia said that the police in Romania and Hungary had pushed him back to Serbia almost nine times over the past few months. “I often come to this

house and wash my clothes, apart from preparing food. But the very next time, I will move other place”.

The Human Rights activists have repeatedly cautioned that push backs are a infringement of both international and EU norms that has banned forcible returns of people to other countries without knowing about the individual circumstances or allowing them to apply for asylum. Majdan area is now being considered as one of the flashpoints involving one or more forms of ill-treatment and infringement of human rights, including physical abuse, abusive and degrading treatment and denied access to asylum procedures. It involved 3,403 persons in various nations and also alleged that the parents are being alienated from their children by different border officials & pushed back.

The entire work seems like a partnership between the Danish Refugee Council and six civil society organizations. These numbers alone are disgraceful, but behind the statistics are real children, women and men. Often, these people have had not one, but multiple such experiences, at the same or different bordering regions. Most of the migrants in Majdan were unwilling to talk to the media. They feared retribution or that talking to journalists could harm their efforts. Not capable to cross on their own, the migrants frequently want help from the smugglers or other people to guide them over the borders.

On the other end of the hamlets, the migrants mostly used an old sofa to sit outside during the day.

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OPINION

ALLOTTING OBC QUOTA IN MEDICAL SEEMS A COMMENDABLE STEP

By Tejas Harad are enacted unwillingly and even when they are passed in Parliament, the union government as well as government institutions does not show much enthusiasm in implementing them.

The Indian Institutes of Management are recognized to flout reservation laws in faculty recruitment and time and again have demanded that they be exempted from these laws. However, the IIMs are not the only culprit here. If given a chance, most public institutions would be more than happy to avoid quotas meant for SCs, STs and OBCs. This stands in stark contrast to the EWS quota. Even though this quota came on the statute books only in 2019, most governments and public institutions have exposed incredible eagerness in executing

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he Central Government has now d e c id ed t o e xe cu t e re ce n t ly demanded reservation laws meant for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as well as the Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in the all-India quota (AIQ) scheme, particularly for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses from 2021-22 sessions. Over the past few years, the demand for the OBC quota in AIQ was raging in courts and other places.

Majorities of people were in confusion that whether the issue related to the OBC quota was in AIQ with the National Eligibility-cumEntrance Test aka NEET. But in fact, there is no specific relation between the duos. Whether there should be a standardized common entrance test across the nation for medical or students need to get admission on the basis of their 12th standard marks is another debate and not connected to the issue of reservation.

Actually, the NEET was first conducted in the year 2013 but it was discontinued from the very next year & but again it was reintroduced in 2016. The AIQ scheme was started on the apex court order in the year 1986.

According to this, 15 per cent of undergraduate and 50 per cent seats are surrendered by state medical and dental colleges to the AIQ. It means the state governments’ policy regarding reservation and domicile do not apply to the AIQ. In the beginning of this scheme, the central government had already provisioned for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation. Besides, many state governments had made provisions for OBC reservation too. And hence, the Apex

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Court turned the AIQ a reservation-free scheme. If the AIQ seats were remained with the states, in a state like Tamil Nadu, for example, 69 per cent of these seats would have gone to SCs, STs and OBCs. In 2007, the Supreme Court rectified its mistake while granting reservations to the SCs and STs in the AIQ. Even this time, the OBCs were still not included in the AIQ. Even today, most state governments like: West Bengal, had implemented reservation laws for the OBCs, and the center, in the beginning of January 2007, had extended reservation for OBC to the higher educational institutions. In July 2020, the Madras High Court ultimately ruled that the students belonging to the OBC categories could also avail prescribed facilities in the AIQ from the next academic year. However the central government was still dragging its feet to implement the high the orders of the High Court that led to the HC reprimanding the government two weeks ago. The story of OBC reservation in the AIQ is a known to all. At first the laws meant for Bahujans

September 2021

it. Note that this quota operates just like the quotas meant for the SCs, STs and OBCs, besides is meant particularly for the upper castes. The conclusion to execute OBC quota in the AIQ is a welcome one. Despite, it became possible only because anti-caste activists and some pro-people parties raised their voice incessantly inside and outside the court for the past few years. There was no reason for this issue to drag on for so long though.

An act of Parliament prescribed 27 per cent reservation for the OBCs and all the government had to do was to realize it. The decision of health ministry will probably pave the way for executing OBC reservation in all government departments and institutions including the IIMs and IIT. The central government is tapping itself on the back for giving ministerial berths to several Bahujans in its cabinet reshuffle and is claiming credit for OBC reservation in the AIQ as well.

(The writer is senior journalist and commentator on social issues).

OPINION

POLICYMAKERS, CITIZENS CAN GET ADEQUATE BENEFITS OF IPCC REPORT

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he Union Government’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently released its 6th Assessment Report (AR6). Almost 3 years of work by over 230 scientists from across the world, has found the strongest and clearest report to date from the IPCC. The organization has assessed over 14,000 scientific publications on the subject of climate change. As per the report the latest weather disaster—be it floods during the monsoon season or heat waves and wildfires from across the world. These extreme events are some of the ways in which climate change manifests itself and this report provides a punctuation mark by putting them in the climate change context.

The new report states unequivocally that the human influence on climate is already influencing many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Climate change has led to other widespread and rapid changes in the last few decades with the scale of recent changes unprecedented over thousands of years.

At the same time, in the Indian territory, the Indian Ocean is finding the fastest rate of warming and sea level rise globally with grave consequences for coastal flooding and the added threat of stronger tropical cyclones. The monsoon rainfall that our country critically depends on has been adversely affected by the greenhouse gases and polluting particles that are emitted by burning fossil fuels. The frequency and intensity of hot extremes as well as heavy rainfall events have increased as a consequence of warming.

As we emit more of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases, we will experience heat and temperature, and the changes we face will grow as a result.

The monsoons are supposed to become stronger but also more variable leading to increased severity of wet and dry events.

Snow-covered areas and snow volumes will decrease, and glaciers will lose mass.

Growing temperature and rainfall can increase the occurrence of glacial lake outburst, floods and landslides over the Himalayas—predictions that have become reality of late. However, some changes could be slowed, and others could be stopped by limiting warming—through strong, rapid, and sustained reductions in

CO2, methane, and other greenhouse gases.

That weather and climate extremes will become more widespread, frequent and intense as the climate warms is a call for action. If we as a society have to live with the changes that have already occurred and will occur in the future, we will have to build strategies for adaptation. Current ways of dealing with extreme weather and climate events are still focused more on the short-term with early warning systems prior to a disaster followed by post-disaster management.

The shift to distant work doesn’t really help, by the same perfunctory.

Individuals can begin to seem like nothing with the exception of a picture on the screen. Individuals from every office normally wind up having their virtual calls just with others from their space

It has inherent limitations as it comes to the growing hazards that we are facing as a consequence of regular global warming.

First, the prediction of a cyclone or some weather event is very different from predicting the full impacts of the storm surge, the rainfall and stream flows that compound the impacts of such events.

Understanding and predicting how these effects interact with the built infrastructure and the human dimension is an even harder problem and still at a nascent stage even in the most advanced countries.

In order to plan for increasing frequencies and magnitudes of disasters will require policymakers to first recognize and then invest in comprehensive systems that are aimed at managing the risk to society.

Second, the costs of repeated disasters need to be better represented in our calculations of the true cost of climate change and any actions we may take to mitigate climate change. Without better analysis and decision support systems, the job of policy makers is not only going to get harder but will potentially be crippled by inadequate information.

The report has direction on the way usable information can be derived at regional and local scales and climate services can be developed to aid policy and action. A handy feature of the current report is also a dynamic online Atlas that allows people to visualize observed and modeled data from specific regions of interest, and use these to quickly perform relevant analysis.

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OPINION

RECENT RESHUFFLE EXPOSE ASSORTED, WIDE-RANGE PERSPECTIVES OF SAFFRON CABINET

By Ram Prasad Tripathy

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mong other major steps, the first cabinet expansion by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, after assuming charge for the second term in May 2019, is being termed as socially most diverse and inclusive in the history of the Indian parliamentary, in the pursuit of realizing a ‘New India’. And hence, with the recent reshuffle, the Prime Minister has infused young blood and has also given representation to various social groups, and regions to bring into governance the ‘collective voice of all of India’. With the inclusion of 43 new faces in the Council of Ministers, of whom 15 took oath as Cabinet ministers and 28 as ministers of state, the overall strength of the Union Cabinet has risen to 78, including the Prime Minister. The New Modi Cabinet 2.0 includes the vibrancy and color of India’s various communities and regions and is represented by almost all sections of the society. Therefore, it will be not an exaggeration if we call this new cabinet, a true reflection of India’s diversity that ensures representation for India’s poor, socially oppressed and backward, various states and regions, women, and youth.

Following the expansion, the Modi cabinet 2.0 has also become the government of many ‘Firsts’. This cabinet is also energized with the Youth power – to foster innovation and change. The outgoing Cabinet had an average age of 61 years, whereas the average age of the new cabinet is 58 years, in which, 14 ministers, including six in the cabinet, are below the age of 50 years. In the same way, drawing from various sectors of the talent pool and expertise from various walks of life, the ministry includes 13 lawyers, six doctors, five engineers, seven former civil servants, seven PhDs, and three MBAs, with more than 68 having graduate degrees.

For a country to be empowered, the empowerment of women is extremely vital.

Acknowledging this fact, Prime Minister Modi in the last seven years has ensured that women are given ample benefits, and equal and plentiful opportunities. Going by the tremendous amount of work done

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The outgoing Cabinet had an average age of 61 years, whereas the average age of the new cabinet is 58 years, in which, 14 ministers, including six in the cabinet, are below the age of 50 years

OPINION

Ministers from across five States – Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh. One Muslim, one Sikh, one Christian, two Buddhist, including three Cabinet Ministers in the government, resonate the basic mantra of Modi government ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ Apart from it 29 Ministers are from other communities like Brahmin, Kshatriya, Baniya, Bhumihar, Kayasth, Lingayat, Khatri, Kadva and Leuva Patel, Maratha, Reddy, and Nair etc.

for the welfare of women, this period will undoubtedly be remembered as the most significant period for ‘Women Empowerment’ in the recent history of India. Further continuing this effort and shaping New India’s growth story, this is probably the first time in independent India where the Prime Minister included 7 women ministers, including two cabinet ministers, taking their overall strength to 11. This transition shows that India is transforming from women development to ‘womenled development’ under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the context of social justice, the recent changes in the Union Cabinet are going to have far-reaching implications.

For the first time in the post independent India, Modi government 2.0 has a record 12 Scheduled Caste Ministers, including two Cabinet Ministers, from across eight States–

The Modi government has also included the experience of seniors – seasoned administrators and legislators to anchor and guide. Altogether 46 ministers have prior experience of being Ministers in the Central Government and 23 have been elected to Parliament for three or more terms – bringing in more than a decade of Parliamentary experience with them.

Like many firsts, the Modi government has also for the first time included faces from almost all the states– bringing the soul of Federalism into the Central government.

West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Assam.

These eight ST Ministers, including 3 Cabinet Ministers, come from seven ST Communities – Gond, Santal, Miji, Munda, Tea tribe, Kokana and Sonowal–Kachari

At present the government has Ministers from 25 States and UTs. Five former CMs, 23 former Ministers in State Governments and 38 former MLAs – with State legislative experience will definitely enrich the government with their long experience in their respective States. The induction of new faces in the cabinet has undoubtedly infused new energy, dynamism and determination in the government. Needless to say, the new look government is brimming with confidence to counter any challenge that comes in the way of India’s emergence as a world leader.

Bihar, MP, UP, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu, and representing 12 SC communities including – Chamar, Ramdassia, Khatik, Pasi, Kori, Madiga, Mahar, Arundathiyar, Meghwal, Rajbonshi, Matua-Namashudra, Dhanga and Dusadh. Likewise, there is a record eight ST Ministers in Modi cabinet and they represent eight States – Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Assam. These eight ST Ministers, including 3 Cabinet Ministers, come from seven ST Communities – Gond, Santal, Miji, Munda, Tea tribe, Kokana and Sonowal–Kachari.

Similarly, for the first time a record 28 OBC Ministers, including five Cabinet Ministers, from across 15 States and 20 communities – Yadav, Kurmi, Jat, Gurjar, Khandayat, Bhandari, Bairagi, Tea Tribe, Thakor, Koli, Vokkaliga Tulu Gowda, Ezhava, Lodh, Agri, Vanjari, Meitei, Nat, Mallah–Nishad, Modh Teli and Darzi, with many of the communities getting a seat in the cabinet for the first time, are included in the government. The minorities also got adequate representation with five Minority

The new Cabinet for ‘New India’ has representation from across all the states and regions of the country representing the length and breadth of the country.

With it Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given a clear cut message that Social justice and Gender justice is no longer about symbolic or ceremonial presence but a more robust and result-oriented representation at crucial decision-making positions, that only can bring meaningful results.

Therefore, with the inclusion of a sizeable number of SCs, STs and OBCs, and ample number of women this will be the most socially diverse and inclusive council of ministers in the political history of the country. By making the weaker sections of our society decision makers and stakeholders in the affairs of the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has heralded a refreshing and historic change for the overall development of these sections to realize the dream of the founding fathers of the nation.

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INT'L BIZ

GREG KELLY PROTESTS CRIMINAL TRIAL, TERMS IT VAGUE

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ven as almost three years elapsed, the ex-executive of Nissan, Greg Kelly, still seems to be speculating if the reason behind his arrest and criminal trial in Japan were not simply taken up in the corporate boardroom of Automaker.

An American lawyer, Kelly, who worked for over thirty years for Nissan Motor Corporate, is awaiting a verdict in his trial on charges of financial delinquency in the case of Carlos Ghosn. The beleaguered exchairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi association escaped bail and fled to Lebanon in late 2019, leaving Kelly in Japan alone to face charges of Ghosn’s under-reported Nissan compensation. However, all allegations were denied by Kelly.

week. After landing in Japan, he got in a van. The driver asked if he could pull over and make a call. All of sudden the van door opened, and several men rushed in, identifying themselves as prosecutors and a translator. Kelly was taken to a detention center, handcuffed and searched, then led to an interrogation room, and questioned by prosecutors, initially without a lawyer present. “It was a shock,” he said. He was kept in solitary confinement for 35 days and interrogated daily. He was confused. He could not call his wife. He pleaded to be allowed to get help from Nissan. He was not at all aware whether Nissan was behind his

During an exclusive interview with the media on August 19, 2021, at his Tokyo based residence, where he was granted bail, Kelly he never thought any of them were indulged in a crime any criminal activity.

Referring to Ghosn, Kelly said, “We only tried to solve a business problem that was the way of lawful actions you take to keep a very valuable executive that were underpaid per the company rules”. Kelly, who faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted and is forbidden from leaving Japan as he awaits his fate, further said, “It should have been resolved at the corporate level at Nissan.

It’s not a criminal matter”. A verdict is not expected until March. More than 99 per cent of Japanese criminal trials result in convictions.

Behind him, the walls of the apartment Kelly shares with his wife, Dee, were plastered with photos of his two grandsons, including a 20-month-old baby he has never held.

Family is most important, the 64-year-old Kelly said, especially this late in life. Kelly said that as one enters into his or her sixties (60s), he or she never looks at a long horizon,. “Every day that you miss with your family, you know, that to me is the stress. In order to spend 33 months without my family, just for a corporate matter, it does not just make a lot of sense.

Kelly was working for Nissan but living in the Nashville area of Tennessee when he was asked to come to Japan for a meeting in November 2018.

Since he was scheduled for neck fusion surgery to address a painful spinal condition he suggested a video conference. But Nissan booked a corporate jet for him, promising he would be back within the

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Since he was scheduled for neck fusion surgery to address a painful spinal condition he suggested a video conference.

But Nissan booked a corporate jet for him, promising he would be back within the week.

After landing in Japan, he got in a van

arrest. In order to pass the time as he awaits a verdict, Kelly takes long walks with his wife, who moved to Japan in January 2019 on a student visa, taking Japanese language courses to be near her husband.

Kelly says he is lucky to have Dee, his college sweetheart from their days at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She was at his trial, giving her husband a thumbs-up as he walked into the courtroom with his lawyers. Sitting in the front row, she took copious notes since court transcripts are only in Japanese. Dee Kelly said she was taking a walk near the couple’s home in November 2018, when she heard a radio report about the arrest of Ghosn and an

INT'L BIZ

Unknown except to several top Nissan officials, salary of Ghosn was slashed from about 2 billion yen to 1 billion yen in fiscal 2009, when the disclosure of individual executive pay became required in Japan

American executive. You feel like you cannot breathe, she said without knowing about the fact that was likely to be happened to her husband while on a business trip. “You work all your life so you can have time during retirement to spend with your kids, and we really wanted to play a big part in our grandkids’ lives, and that was taken,” she said of the events that have unfolded since.

Kelly dedicated his life to Nissan, she said.

“To have him treated like this, especially by people that were your friends. That’s really hard”.

Unknown except to several top Nissan officials, salary of Ghosn was slashed from about 2 billion yen to 1 billion yen in fiscal 2009, when the disclosure of individual executive pay became required in Japan.

Prosecutors contend there was an elaborate

plan to make up for the pay cut, which should have been documented in Nissan’s annual securities report. At trial, they presented as evidence tables on Ghosn’s unpaid salary, kept meticulously by another Nissan official.

Kelly says he didn’t know about the tables.

From Ghosn’s native Lebanon, the auto magnate-turned-international fugitive has denied accusations of underreporting his compensation and misusing company funds, contending he was the victim of a corporate coup linked to a decline in Nissan’s financial performance as the Japanese automaker resisted losing autonomy to French partner Renault. Meanwhile, Ghosn mounted a robust defense of Kelly, saying: Obviously he is innocent. “Some observers think that Kelly may be a bit of a pawn in the effort of the government to salvage its reputation after Ghosn escaped, said Carl Tobias,

Williams Chair in Law at the University of Richmond. At the end, there, possibly there were no winners in this sordid story. Yoichi Kitamura, Kelly’s chief attorney, says that in his 43 years as a defense lawyer, he has never encountered a case like the one against Kelly.

“There is absolutely no evidence,” Kitamura said, adding there was no motive either.

Nissan and the prosecutors got together and concocted this into a criminal case. Kelly was just trying to do what he thought was best for Nissan, Kitamura added. Hari Nada, who worked with Kelly in Nissan human resources, went to prosecutors about Ghosn’s unpaid compensation, according to Nada’s testimony in Kelly’s trial. Nada is one of two Nissan officials who got a plea bargain to avoid prosecution. Kelly says he may have been singled out because he, like Ghosn, supported a merger for Nissan and Renault, to strengthen the alliance in a way he thought would make the companies more equal yet remain competitive. Nada, former Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa and several other Japanese executives opposed the merger, according to court testimony. “It was a small group that put together this scenario”, Kelly said of his and Ghosn’s arrests. John and Dave Kelly, Greg Kelly’s brothers, were at the Chicago Auto Show last month, with cousins, spouses and friends all wearing “Free Greg Kelly” hats and T-shirts, to picket and hand out leaflets. “To commit a crime, you have to have a motive. Greg didn’t get anything. He was trying to help Nissan,” Dave Kelly, a petroleum engineer who lives in Lafayette, Louisiana, said. He was just doing his job.

The brothers grew up playing baseball and football in their backyard together. John Kelly said that he was always an honest guy.

He was always someone you could trust and talk to a general surgeon in Oneida, New York.

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INT'L BIZ

ANOTHER PANDEMICERA TO KNOCK IN FORM OF JOBLESSNESS ended July 31 and owing mostly to a big drop in those getting enhanced benefits that would come to a complete close by September this year. During the last year, the total under all programs stood at 28.7 million. A considerable number of the turn down in claims came from Texas, which fell by 8,311, according to unadjusted data.

Illinois also declined 3,577 and Michigan was lower by 2,188. On the whole, the crash could be good news for jobs market that has seen nonfarm payrolls increase by 2.5 million over the past three months and the unemployment rate fall to 5.4 per cent from 6.3 per cent at the beginning of the year. The data collected on August 10, 2021 shows the period that the Labor Department uses as its survey week for the monthly nonfarm payrolls count.

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mid worries over the delta variant of the Coronavirus, the job markets seem to be improving and heading into the fall. This is the First-time when filings for unemployment insurance have hit a pandemic-era low during the third week of August 2021.

With over 6 million Americans are being considered employed now than prior to the pandemic, a huge jobs gap is being witnessed.

In July 2021, there were almost 8.7 million workers looking for jobs, though that was well below the 10 million or so job openings in the United States.

Growing unemployment has claimed during the third week of August 2021. As per the information procured from the Labor Department altogether, 348,000, were unemployed. It has been estimated below the Dow Jones estimate for 365,000 and a decline of 29,000 from the first week of August in the very same year. The last time claims were this low was March 14, 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic declaration hit and sent the United States economy strengthening into its deepest but briefest recession on record.

In the days that followed, more than 22 million Americans would be sent to the unemployment line, sending the jobless rate skyrocketing to 14.8 per cent. The jobs market has been on a steady recovery trajectory from then but remains well off its pre-pandemic health. Stocks were unstable following the news, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average well off its lows for the morning and down just slightly in early trading.

Continuing claims also fell, dropping to 2.82 million on a 79,000 decline from the week before. That data runs a week behind the headline claims number and also represented a new low since the pandemic struck. Most of those accumulating the benefits under all programs fell to 11.74 million, a decline of 311,787 for the week

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September 2021

As per the information procured from the Labor Department altogether, 348,000, were unemployed. It has been estimated below the Dow Jones estimate for 365,000 and a decline of 29,000 from the first week of August in the very same year.

The experts consider a multitude of causes for the incapability to get back to complete employment. Among them are ongoing fears about the pandemic, workers pressing for higher wages and the enhanced government benefits that have lower the incentives for getting jobs. In response to the present scenario and job conditions across the world, the wages are being increased with average hourly earnings up to 4 per cent a year over year in July 2021.

Before the pandemic, that would have been a record in data going back to March 2007.

Another media report on August 20, 2021 showed the pace of manufacturing growth in the Philadelphia region. The Philadelphia Fed’s manufacturing index declined to 19.4 from 21.9 the month before. The reading represents the percent difference between firms seeing expansion versus those witnessing reduction. The level was below the report prepared by the Dow Jones estimate of 22.

INT'L BIZ

IMF PUTS EMBARGO ON FUND ACCESS AMID TALIBAN TURMOIL

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mong other major steps by the International Monetary Fund, the IMF had said that it had out embargo on the access of IMF resources like: a sum of about USD 440 million in new monetary reserves. It all happened soon after the Taliban seized control of Kabul.

The situation however caused uncertainty over the existence of the government.

Recent announcement of the IMF came amid pressure from the US Treasury that holds a controlling share in the Fund to ensure that the share of Afghanistan, a Special Drawing Rights reserves allocation scheduled for Monday, does not fall into the hands of Taliban.

In a statement through email, an IMF spokesperson said, “At present there is an uncertainty of any systematic establishment within the international community, especially regarding recognition of a government in Afghanistan. As a result of which the country cannot access SDRs or other IMF resources”. He added that as was always the case, the IMF is guided by the views of the international community. The Fund has usually relied on its membership to make a decision whether to engage with governments that take power in coups or disputed elections.

Noticeably, the IMF had in the year 2019 suspended, the SDR access of Venezuela when altogether 50 member countries representing a majority of the Shareholding of fund had refused to recognize the government of President Nicolas Maduro following his disputed re-election. The IMF also put an embargo in dealings with Myanmar after the military seized power in a February coup. Very soon, the organization has planned to complete a USD 650 billion allocation of SDRs – the unit exchange of fund based on dollars, euros, yen, sterling

because of the deadly Coronavirus over the past two years. The IMF spokesperson said that on behalf of Afghanistan, the IMF would allocate almost 310 million SDRs. It would be valued at about USD 440 million based on SDR exchange rate set up.

The growth in reserves is focused at bolstering the balance sheets of those poorer nations that have seriously strained because of the deadly Coronavirus over the past two years

“The department is taking proper action to prevent the Taliban from accessing the SDR reserves of the country”, a US Treasury official said. While speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official did not provide details on the specific actions being taken by the Treasury. It all followed a letter from Republican lawmakers that used Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to ‘intervene’ at the IMF to ensure that no IMF Special Drawing Rights are made available to the Taliban.

and yuan - to its 190 member nations in proportion to their shareholdings in the Fund. The growth in reserves is focused at bolstering the balance sheets of those poorer nations that have seriously strained

Although, Afghanistan was to regain access to the SDRs, it would be unlikely the Taliban could spend those resources because that would need another country to be willing to exchange the SDRs for underlying currencies, a transaction that would likely be blocked by long-standing US financial sanctions against the Taliban.

The United States and Afghan authorities have said that most of the Afghan central bank’s nearly USD10 billion in assets are held outside Afghanistan, likely putting them beyond the reach of insurgents. A Biden administration official said previously that any Afghan central bank assets held in the United States would not be made accessible to the Taliban. The national security adviser of White House, Jake Sullivan, had on August 18, 2021 said that it was too soon to determine whether the United States would recognize the Taliban as the legitimate governing power in Afghanistan. He also stressed on the rampant ‘chaotic situation in Kabul’.

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INDO-AUSTRALIA BILATERAL RELATION WITNESSES FRESH DIMENSION OF DEVELOPMENT

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mong other major development, the latest visit of former Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, to India during the first week of August 2021 in a fresh mode of appearance, as a Special Envoy on Trade of his successor, Scott Morrison, highlights significance of the country to step up the ties with a fresh modus operandi. The main objective of Abbott’s stay from August 2, 2021 to August 6, 2021 in India was to push New Delhi on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) stalled since he stepped down from office in 2015 without satisfying his goal of formalizing a pact with India.

Since then, various changes have been observed, particularly in the mode of the India-Australia bilateral engagement, improving ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that includes areas outside the narrow interpretation of things military.

India now waits scheduling the first 2+2 meeting between the foreign and defense ministers, which would comply with complete a similar arrangement with the other two members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, Japan and the United States. Apart from the democratic values, both sides share a vision on the Indo-Pacific, the emerging geopolitical construct with a liberal shade of economic partnerships built into the structure. With lesser engagement

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for over decades, the bilateral relations between India and Australia has jumped into a transformational course during the last 15-odd years, acquiring more significant momentum over the past few years.

The extent of ties now gets wider to gain depth in agriculture, critical minerals, energy education and science & technology.

Economic cooperation and trade and investments stay behind areas of specific focus. The actual theme during Abbott's visit can be determined from the discussions the former prime minister held with ministers of commerce, coal and mines, energy, power, NITI Aayog and finance, signing off with a call on Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The mode of discussions focused on the way both nations can further strengthen bilateral trade, investment and economic

September 2021

The extent of ties now gets wider to gain depth in agriculture, critical minerals, energy education and science & technology.

Economic cooperation and trade and investments stay behind areas of specific focus

DEFENCE

cooperation, which can help India and Australia in dealing with the challenges that the world is preparing for a post-pandemic new order. Even as India is looking for expansion of its manufacturing capacity to step forward the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, it also merge into the plan to attract global manufacturers seeking to exit China as part of an alternate supply chain that countries are keen to develop. With NITI Aayog, the special trade envoy discussed emerging technologies, critical minerals, and the Productivity of India to Link Incentive scheme.

Soon after he returned his home land, Abbott wrote in the August first week edition of ‘The Australian’, - “The pandemic has put up in irregular neon lights the extent to which the entire world has turned dependent on Chinese imports, including in critical supply chains, which can be turned on and off like a tap. But the reply to almost every question about China is India. Even though, at present not as rich as China, as a democracy under the rule of law, and as the second-largest producer of steel in

Ahead of it, Australian High Commissioner Barry O'Farrell characterized the visit of Abbott as a commitment to strengthen the economic relationship, deepen trade and investment links with India and takes our economic relationship to the next level with emphasis on building secure and resilient supply chains

Partnership and its inability to be a member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, for many countries, an agreement like CECA is the route to expand bilateral trade and investment with one of the largest markets world.

In his new role, Abbott also serves as an advisor to the United Kingdom Board of Trade as both countries embark upon a path to strengthen trade deals with India. Amid reports back home whether the former PM could also be discussing the pending UKIndia FTA, the Australian Guardian quoted a spokesperson of Canberra's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that Abbot signed a conflict of interest declaration ahead of the trip to New Delhi. While announcing the visit Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Dan Tehan said the Australian government partly supported it and the former PM would not be remunerated for his work.

Ahead of it, Australian High Commissioner Barry O'Farrell characterized the visit of Abbott as a commitment to strengthen the economic relationship, deepen trade and investment links with India and takes our economic relationship to the next level with emphasis on building secure and resilient supply chains.

Australia visualizes that India would need goods and services over the next two decades that it can offer. These could be in areas like agriculture, education; skill training and health, a sector that assumes huge significance as Covid- 19 has exposed the way developed countries were striving with lesser infrastructure as waves swept through. The projection includes India emerging as the third-largest economy globally in less than a decade, despite the blip suffered during 2020. The basis for Australia's interest in developing trade and economic ties with India lies in the India Economic Strategy. This 500-page document charts a roadmap to navigate the relationship from potential to delivery by 2035.

the world and pharmaceuticals, and with its own version of Silicon Valley, India is completely placed to substitute for China in global supply chains”.

The Abbott government has already signed a Free Trade Agreement with China in 2015 but now feels the decision did not deliver on its objective as China became an economic powerhouse and is now acquiring military sinews. As the global economy and trade witnessing a recession following

the outbreak of the worldwide health pandemic, the bilateral trade between the two countries during 2020 stood at $24.4 billion, down from $29 billion during 2017-18, with India now ranked as the 7th largest trade partner and 6th largest export market.

Indian imports include coal, copper ore and concentrate, gold, vegetables, lentils, fruits, nuts, and wool. Soon after India pulled out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic

Prepared by former DFAT Secretary Peter Varghese, the IES has identified threepillar strategies: economic, geo-politics and people, ten sectors where Australia has a competitive edge with education as a flagship sector. It is one of the largest services sector exports, recording $6 billion with a little over 1.15 lakh Indian students studying in Australia. The other sectors, broken down into three lead sectors, are agribusiness, resources and tourism and six promising sectors, energy, health, financial services, infrastructure, sport, sciences and security. The relationship is on course to move away from the traditional description of India and Australia sharing Cricket, Curry and Commonwealth.

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EOS TO OFFER REAL-TIME OBSERVATION OF ENTIRE SUB-CONTINENT

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ith the launch of the first state-ofthe-art agile, Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) on August 12, 2021, the scientists of Indian space has now added another feather to their caps.

Properly suspended within an orbit high above the Earth, this ‘eye in the sky’ will allow the real-time observing of the entire subcontinent, helping with everything from agriculture to defense. The GISAT is an imaging satellite that will be launched via the indigenously made Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F10 (GSLV-F10) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It has been developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

This promising equipment took off at 5.43 am on August 12, 2021, weather permitting.

The satellite weighs more than 2 tonnes and ISRO will for the first time be using an Ogive-shaped fairing — basically, a classic bullet-shaped pointed curved surface casing — with the view to accommodating a larger payload. The satellite will be placed

by GSLV-F10 in a geosynchronous transfer orbit following which it will climb to its geostationary orbit at a height of about 36,000 km above the Earth’s surface using its onboard propulsion system.

Geostationary implies that the satellite will be located above the Equator and always

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appear to be fixed at one point in the sky. But such satellites aren’t motionless.

All that happens is that the high orbit they are placed in makes the satellite travel at the same rate as the Earth’s spin. With its movement thus synchronized with the rotation of the Earth, GISAT-1 will be circling the Earth once every 24 hours.

The way these satellites help on-ground receiving stations is that they can be pointed to a fixed location in the sky and don’t have to constantly readjust — which would be the case with low-Earth satellites, which need to be tracked across the sky. The ISRO says that India now has one of the largest constellations of remote sensing satellites for Earth observation with data from these satellites used for several applications covering agriculture, water resources, urban planning, rural development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, ocean resources and disaster management.

The media reports, revealed that the advanced imaging satellite has been described as a ‘game changer’ for India with its high resolution cameras allowing constant, real-time monitoring of the Indian landmass and the oceans. Among the key areas where it can prove its utility is defense, enabling special attention to the country’s borders for security causes. In

September 2021

addition, when it comes to natural disasters, monitoring by the satellite can make sure that precautions are taken well in advance to reduce their impact. Apart from disaster warning, ISRO said the satellite will also provide spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, cloud properties, snow and glaciers and oceanography and will be carrying multispectral and hyper spectral cameras in different bands with enhanced spatial and temporal resolution. However, the satellite needs cloud-free conditions to capture images.

Union minister Jitendra Singh has told Rajya Sabha that the satellite can accomplish imaging of the whole country 4-5 times daily. From technical glitches to the Covid-19 pandemic, the GISAT-1 launch has had to suffer multiple delays and will be only the second launch by ISRO so far in 2021 following the February launch of 18 small satellites. It was initially slated for launched on March 5, 2020, but that was cancelled due to technical reasons.

Right after followed the pandemic and the lockdowns it brought along with it, which meant the GISAT-1 launch suffered a lengthy delay.

Rescheduled for March 28 this year, ‘a minor issue’ first led the launch to be put off till April and, then, as the second wave broke, to May 2021.

DEFENCE

ERSTWHILE KHELRATNA AWARD, NOW

‘MAJOR DHYANCHAND

KHELRATNA AWARD’

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rime Minister, Narendra Modi, has said that after receiving a series of appeals from large number of citizens across country to name the Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand, his government took such a historic decision.

“Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award”, PM Modi said.

He further said that Major Dhyan Chand was among the foremost sportspersons of India. He brought honor and pride for India. It is fitting that our nation’s highest sporting honor will be named after him.

PM Modi through his Twitter handle said, “The exceptional performance of the Men’s and Women’s Hockey Team has captured the imagination of our entire nation. There is a renewed interest towards Hockey that is emerging across the length and breadth of India. This is a very positive sign for the coming times. I have been getting many requests from citizens across India to name the Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand. I thank them for their views. Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award”.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena said that a bigger award could have been announced in the name of the hockey legend, Major Dhyan

Chand, without renaming Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. “Major Dhyan Chand could have been honored without insulting the sacrifice of Rajiv Gandhi and accused the Union Government of indulging in political games. It could have been announced in the name of Dhyan Chand. Had that happened, the Modi government would have been applauded”, Sena said in the editorial of its mouthpiece, Saamana, on August 9, 2021.

Dhyan Chand must be feeling the same way.

The Shiv Sena also took a dig at the BJP-led government at the Centre for renaming the Sardar Patel stadium in Gujarat after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Major Dhyan Chand, a field hockey player, played international hockey from 1926 to 1949 and he scored over 400 goals in his career. Born in Allahabad, Dhyan Chand was part of the Olympic team that won gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936. Besides, the Khel Ratna award, the highest award of the country for lifetime achievement in sports is known as the Dhyan Chand Award.

It was instituted in 2002. The National Stadium in New Delhi was also renamed as the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in 2002. The National Sports Day is observed every year across India on 29th August to mark the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand who was born on 29th August 1905. He joined the Indian army in 1922 and came to prominence when he toured New Zealand with the army team in 1926.

After playing in the 1928 and 1932 Olympic Games, Chand captained the Indian team at the 1936 Games in Berlin, scoring three goals in the 8–1 defeat of Germany in the final match.

The sacrifice of two former Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who contributed a lot to the growth and development of the country, must not become a subject of ridicule, Shiv Sena said through its editorial Samna. The article reads, “Indira Gandhi was assassinated by terrorists. Rajiv Gandhi also lost his life in the terrorist attack. There is room for differences in democracy, but the sacrifice of the Prime Ministers, who have contributed immensely to the progress of the country, cannot become a subject of ridicule”. Renaming the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award would be a political ‘sport’ and not a public sentiment. Major Dhyan Chand could have been honoured without insulting the sacrifice of Rajiv Gandhi. India has lost that tradition and culture. Today

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HEALTH

‘RACHOUT’ LAUNCHED TO DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH

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ignificant campaign for creating awareness about the symptoms of mental health conditions, motivate people to get help in need when they feel and step up actions every day for better mental health, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has launched ReachOut. With the help of the past and present football players, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), FIFA is highlighting the significance of vastness about mental health.

In a statement, the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said that this campaign was very important in creating awareness about mental health conditions and encouraging a conversation that could save a life. In Vision 2020-2023 of the FIFA, we assure our obligations to make football work for society, and I offer gratitude to the players and Ms Enke, who have contributed to this significant idea.

“Over the past few years, depression and nervousness have affected large numbers of people across the globe and young people are among the most susceptible. A proper discussion with family, friends or healthcare officials can be termed as a key. The FIFA is proud to start this campaign, supported by the WHO and ASEAN to motivate people.

The campaign hears from FIFA Legends Aline, Vero Boquete, Cafu, Laura Georges, Luis García, Shabani Nonda, Patrizia Panico, Fara Williams and Walter Zenga.

The FIFA.com also speaks with former Bolton Wanderers and Team GB forward, Marvin Sordell, and Sonny Pike, who were labeled the ‘next big thing’ at 14, about their experiences with depression.

As per the information, depression affects over 260 million people across the world, while around half of all mental health conditions start by age 14. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in young people aged 15-29. Among active football players, 23 per cent report sleep disturbance, while 9 per cent have reported depression and a further 7 per cent suffer from anxiety.

Among retired players, these figures increase, with 28 per cent struggling to sleep and depression and anxiety affecting 13 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

Working from home, unemployment, school closures and social isolation have affected people around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges for people with mental health conditions,

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The WHO and FIFA have signed a fouryear collaboration in 2019 to promote healthy lifestyles through football globally. More information on the WHO-FIFA memorandum of understanding can be found here. The two organizations jointly launched the ‘Pass the message to kick out coronavirus’ campaign in March 2020 to share advice on effective measures to protect people from COVID-19.

for whom access to treatment has, in many cases, been disrupted, are even growing. The WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is as important as ever to look after our mental and physical health”. He

September 2021

added that the WHO was delighted to support the campaign, spearheaded by FIFA to motivate people to talk about their mental health. The awareness campaign through video conferencing has vast significance for Legends, incumbent players and special guests that have lent their help to this mental health campaign and at times sharing their lived experience.

The entire episode is being published on the FIFA digital channels, with multimedia toolkits provided to the 211 FIFA member associations and to media agencies to facilitate dissemination and use within Europe and beyond. In the meantime, the players from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have reinforced the WHO advice on how to help to keep our minds healthy, as well as our bodies, in the special ASEAN edition of the campaign. “This is important to say that the mental health and well-being are as important as physical health and safety. Under the Chairmanship of Brunei Darussalam, ASEAN has stepped up to advance cooperation with external partners on mental health, in order to provide the ASEAN Community with the necessary and proper mental health & psychosocial support services.

The WHO and FIFA have signed a fouryear collaboration in 2019 to promote healthy lifestyles through football globally.

More information on the WHO-FIFA memorandum of understanding can be found here. The two organizations jointly launched the ‘Pass the message to kick out coronavirus’ campaign in March 2020 to share advice on effective measures to protect people from COVID-19. This was followed by the ‘BeActive’ campaign in April 2020 to encourage people to stay healthy at home during the pandemic, and SafeHome, another campaign launched to support those at risk from domestic violence, in May 2020.

HEALTH

YOUNGSTERS RESOLVE TO ENSURE OPTIMISTIC WORLD AFTER PANDEMIC

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oungsters across the globe often stay optimistic that an inclusive and, resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is possible. They are assisting in developing solutions to ensure communities free from the pandemic stronger than before. The deadly Coronavirus may have taken the most serious physical toll on older people, but it’s the younger generations that have faced the burden of the pandemic worldwide. The WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the younger generations were less at risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19 but would be the most affected by the long-term consequences of the pandemic.

It would shape the world they lived and worked in for decades to come, he added.

The social distancing and stay-at-home policies have interrupted youth education, made it difficult to hold or find employment, and led to growth in mental health conditions.

A large chunk of children are not progressing in school, with 101 million falling behind on reading proficiency in 2020, intimidating an educational gain of almost 20 years. In the same year, global adult employment reduced by 3.7 per cent, while youth employment refused by 8.7 per cent. The unemployment figures for young women are even bleaker, and they face additional, unique challenges, including increased vulnerability to domestic violence and child marriage.

In spite of these problematic trends, youngsters have also been an energetic force at the forefront of growing creative solutions to an inclusive, sustainable pandemic recovery. Noticing these efforts, the WHO started working on putting together younger generations into its work and policies.

affect and matter to them. Members of the Council will meet several times a year, with their work culminating in a WHO Youth Engagement Strategy.

She emphasized that the pandemic had shown them that young people were much resilient.

The Director-General’s Senior Adviser on Gender and Youth, Diah Saminarsih is leading this program. Since 2018, she has been answerable for exploring the way WHO can better serve young people, and how they, in turn, can contribute to the mission of the Organization. She says, “I would like the youngsters to have a role in every possible element that exists: advocacy, policymaking, research and science, sexual and reproductive health, gender — across every possible angle”.

Saminarsih points out that youth initiatives are often narrowly focused on a homogeneous definition of the demographic or on single issues such as unemployment. She would like the approach of WHO to be more holistic and inclusive, positioning young people as equal partners to better enable a ‘transfer of wisdom’ within the Organization. During the pandemic, she and her team began putting this vision to the test by developing and launching the WHO Youth Council. Various departments of WHO have youth-focused plans, the Council serves as an umbrella in a view to house them all. It brings together young people from both health and nonhealth backgrounds to provide guidance to the Director-General on issues that

On the other hands, with the launch of the Youth Council, the WHO announced creation of Global Youth Mobilization (GYM), a step to invest in and replicate youth solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with the UN Foundation and the Big 6 Youth Organizations — which alone engage more than 250 million young people — and with support from the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, the movement convened a Global Youth Summit in April 2021 to reflect on the pandemic from a youth lens.

Dr Tedros said, “Joining forces with the Big 6 and the UNF provides WHO and the world a unique opportunity to learn from hundreds of millions of young people and be guided by their sustainable solutions to help communities build back better from the pandemic”. The three-day event brought together young people as well as policymakers from over 150 countries to discuss their experiences and proposed solutions to multiple issues, among them disrupted formal and informal education, the glaring inequalities that the pandemic has exposed, physical and mental well-being, and how to enter a changing labor market.

For Global Youth Mobilization board member Tharindra Arumapperuma, what made the conversations and solutions at the summit stand out was that they were specific to local contexts.

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HEALTH

FRESH ENTRANTS PRESSED FOR SOLIDARITY CLINICAL TRIAL BY WHO

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hile pronouncing the next phase in its Solidarity trial, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that Solidarity PLUS will enroll hospitalized patients to test three new drugs in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. These therapies - artesunate, imatinib and infliximab – were selected by an independent expert panel for their potential in minimizing the risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. They are already used for other indications: artesunate is used for severe malaria, imatinib for certain cancers, and infliximab for diseases of the immune system such as Crohn’s Disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

These drugs were donated for the trial by their manufacturers. The WHO DirectorGeneral, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “Getting more efficient and reachable therapeutics for COVID-19 patients’ remains a serious requirement and WHO is proud to lead this global effort. I would like to thank the participating governments, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, clinicians and patients, who have come together to do this in true global solidarity”.

The Solidarity PLUS trial is a platform trial that represents the largest global collaboration among WHO Member States.

It involves thousands of researchers in over 600 hospitals in 52 countries, 16 more countries than the first phase of trials. This allows the trial to assess multiple treatments at the same time using a single protocol, recruiting thousands of patients to generate robust estimates on the effect a drug may have on mortality--even moderate effects.

It also allows new treatments to be added and ineffective treatments to be dropped throughout the course of the trial. Earlier, four drugs were evaluated by the trial.

The results showed that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Through the Solidarity PLUS trial, researchers across the world have an opportunity to use their expertise and resources to contribute to global COVID-19 research.

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Produced by Ipca, is used to treat malaria.

In the trial, it will be administered intravenously for 7 days, using the standard dose recommended for the treatment of severe malaria. Artesunate is a derivative of artemisinin, an antimalarial drug extracted from the herb Artemisia annua. Artemisinin and its derivatives have been extensively used in the treatment of malaria and other parasitic diseases for over 30 years, and are regarded as being very safe.

The WHO COVID -19 Therapeutics Advisory Group recommended evaluating the anti-inflammatory properties of artesunate. Produced by Novartis, is used to treat certain cancers. In the trial, it will be administered orally, once daily, for 14 days.

The dose used is the standard maintenance dose, which is at the lower end of the dose patients with haematological malignancies are given over extended periods. Imatinib is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, formulated as an oral chemotherapy drug used to treat certain types of cancer.

September 2021

The results showed that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Experimental and early clinical data suggest that imatinib reverses pulmonary capillary leak. A randomized clinical trial performed in the Netherlands reported that imatinib might confer clinical benefit in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, in the absence of safety issues. Produced by Johnson and Johnson, is used to treat diseases of the immune system. In the trial, it will be administered intravenously as a single dose. The dose used is the standard dose that patients with Crohn’s Disease are given over extended periods. Infliximab is a TNF alpha inhibitor, a chimeric monoclonal antibody that recognizes human TNF alpha. Anti-TNF biologics have been approved for treatment of certain autoimmune inflammatory conditions for more than 20 years, demonstrating favourable efficacy and safety in restricting broad spectrum inflammation, including in elderly populations who are most clinically vulnerable to COVID-19.

HEALTH

LAND OF AYURVEDA MUST MAINTAIN ITS DIGNITY

I

ndia’s medical science has wide history in the world. The country is often termed as the land of Ayurveda. This is the ancient system of natural, personalized and holistic medicine. Our country is the home to two of the most famous medical treatises ever written. Both the Charakasamhita by the physician Charaka, and Sushruta-samhita, authored by the father of plastic surgery, Sushruta, dating back to 800 BCE to 1000 CE, has their origin in Ayurveda. The 3,000-year-old science has gained immense popularity worldwide for its holistic approach to health and well-being. The modern medicine - still a nascent science in the country, has contributed immensely to patient care and public health. The average life expectancy of infant mortality rate (IMR), and maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the country have all improved significantly. We have stemmed the rampant growth of TB, Hepatitis, HIV, and other deadly diseases, while providing timely intervention care in curing others such as Cancer.

India’s Universal Immunization Program is renowned as one of the largest public health interventions in the world, successfully bringing under control many communicable diseases including small-pox and polio.

The modern medical fraternity in India has consistently raised the bar on research and innovation, aided by technological advancements in the last two decades.

Multi-specialty hospitals across the country are offering the very best in diagnosis, advanced intervention facilities and care options. With our skilled doctor base and low-cost treatment availability, India is fast emerging as a global health and wellness tourism destination, accounting for nearly 18 per cent of the global medical tourism market. India’s healthcare industry is projected to grow into a USD 9 billion market over the course of the next year. In recent decades, the growing popularity of Ayurveda has provided an impetus to the wellness tourism sector in India, attracting a large global population. Ayurveda is projected to be a INR 30,000 crore industry in India. In fact, earlier this month, the WHO announced that it will set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in

India’s Universal Immunization Program is renowned as one of the largest public health interventions in the world, successfully bringing under control many communicable diseases including small-pox and polio.

The modern medical fraternity in India has consistently raised the bar on research and innovation, aided by technological advancements in the last two decades

India. It poses many unanswered questions and unforeseen threats to both streams of medicine. Let’s Most Allopathic medicines are chemicals or organic compounds produced in the laboratory and some are biologically engineered to help cure and prevent diseases and provide symptomatic relief – going against the very essence of Ayurveda. The foundational principles of diagnosis, treatment planning and execution in Ayurveda are diametrically different from that of modern medicine.

The strength of Ayurveda lies in its ability to customize preventative, naturally aided, holistic wellness methods to the unique constitution of every individual, based on their energy type. This has proven

extremely impactful in the treatment of chronic ailments. Modern medicine, on the other hand, has provided great relief in acute, immediate care. Ayurvedic experts and post-graduate students can and must perform surgeries, considering the very origin of surgical procedures can be traced back to Ayurveda. But the approach must include rigorous exposure to surgical procedures based purely on ayurvedic principles and philosophies. Towards this goal, the government must further research in Ayurveda across physiology, pathology, pharmacology and pharmaceuticals and elevate its status further to an evidence backed science, encouraging empirical validation of Ayurvedic concepts.

Both Ayurveda and Allopathy have their unique strengths and advantages. The proposed move will greatly dilute the foundational essence and true curative capabilities both streams of medicine can offer to mankind. In fact, it may completely erode the significance of Ayurvedic philosophy in the long run while also undermining the effort of Allopathic students and professionals in advancing patient care. Not to speak of the economic consequences on healthcare and tourism.

The need of the hour is to invest deeper and faster into research and development, technology, and facilities in both streams of medicine. In order encourage independent progress and retain the authenticity of both approaches to medical care, while facilitating sharing of knowledge, empirical evidence, diagnostic learnings, research information and even infrastructure facilities between the two streams for mutual growth and advancement. Towards this end, the authorities can consider introducing super specialization programs that will certify medical professionals to offer an integrated, holistic approach to healthcare. India has the ubiquitous distinction of nurturing and furthering two parallel, extremely rich, expansive, and highly evolved streams of medicine.

September 2021

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