India’s total population stands at 1.21 billion, which is 17.7 per cent more than the last decade, and growth of females was higher than that of males.

Census 2011 has pegged India’s total population at 1.21 billion, 17.7 per cent more than the last decade.

The CBI, in its probe report before the Supreme Court, has indicted the Centre over "massive irregularities and illegalities" in coal block allocation and alleged lack of cooperation by the Coal Ministry.

In its latest status report on the probe, the CBI informed a Bench led by Justice R M Lodha that there were various "serious" breaches in the manner the screening committee examined the applications for allocation of coal blocks and decided such allotments.

Absolute Number Of Cultivators Has Fallen First Time In Four Decades, Stands At 119m

New Delhi: There are now nearly 9 million fewer farmers than there were in 2001, the first time in four decades that the absolute number of cultivators has fallen. Census data released on Tuesday shows that while the proportion of cultivators to the total workforce has been falling steadily, this is the first time since 1971 that the number of cultivators has fallen in absolute terms.

Ten solar power producers, including Jackson Ltd, Vikram Solar, Symphony Vyapar Pvt Ltd and Lexicon Vanijya Pvt Ltd have written to the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) saying imposition of anti-dumping duty on solar imports will severely affect the fledgling Indian solar industry.

Producers and equipment manufacturers have been at loggerheads since the latter filed an anti-dumping case against China, the US, Taiwan and Malaysia last year for imported solar panels. Producers have called a halt to such measures till phase two of the national solar mission begins and new projects are commissioned.

The renewable energy sector in India, led by the wind energy segment, is seeing a rebound in investment with around five deals worth $500 million (approximately . 3,000 crore) being sealed in 2013. In contrast, there has not been a single deal in the conventional energy segment.

“Investors are shying away from conventional energy due to policy uncertainties and lack of fuel linkage. While the government has been flat-footed on thermal energy, it is encouraging renewable energy, making the sector attractive for investors,” said Vish Narain, partner at global private investment firm TPG.

The latest round of UN sponsored climate talks kicked off in Bonn on Monday amid mounting concerns of high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The Bonn round of talks follows fresh data released by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego that carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is set to remain extremely high -- at 400 parts per million, which is considerably higher than 350 ppm limit suggested by scientists to ensure that the earth’s temperature doesn’t increase by more than 2 degrees.

Twenty two out of 29 states in India have failed to meet their Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets which lead to loss of more than 25% electricity that was expected to be generated from renewable energy sources in 2012, said the recently released report ‘Moving Ahead with Renewables: Leaders and Laggards,’ prepared by Greenpeace with its research partner Infraline Energy.

The national capital, Delhi, has stood out as worst state in this respect as it has virtually no renewable energy in it supply chain. Other states which are at the bottom are Maharashtra, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.