Next year, in June, world leaders will get together in the joyful city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to mark 20 years of UNCED—the Earth Summit (see Down to Earth, May 15, 1992). Unbelievably, it will be 40 years since the Stockholm conference, when the question of the environment first …
My article last fortnight about people’s fight against POSCO has brought me interesting responses. They call for clarifications and further discussion. The question is about the value of current livelihoods of the people of coastal Odisha. Is earning from betel nut farming being exaggerated to reinforce the romantic and misinformed …
There is something paradoxical about the current thinking on forests, the theme of this year’s World Environment Day. They are dispensable in the pursuit of economic growth. But with climate change becoming common knowledge, there is also a recognition of the role of forests in checking global warming. These divergent …
This IEA roadmap provides a consensus view on the current status of smart grid technologies and maps out a global path for expanded use of smart grids, together with milestones and recommendations for action, for technology and policy development. The development of smart grids – which the IEA defines as …
The Indian economy this year (2010-11) has been characterized by robust economic growth and steady fiscal consolidation. Inflation continues to be high even though it has come down markedly from where it was at the start of the fiscal year. There are structural challenges that face, concerning economic governance, efficiency …
CHOOSING economic growth over protection of rich forests, the ministry of coal has written to the Cabinet secretary against demarcation of coal-bearing mines as “go” and “no-go” zones. In June, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) had set rich forests as out of bounds for mining. As a preliminary …
Frank Lloyd Wright, the American architect, once said that to look at the cross-section of any plan of a big city is to look at something like the section of fibrous tumour. It is probably an apt description of how India
There is no doubt US President Barack Obama was in India on a business trip. His recent electoral losses weighed heavily with him when he stitched up deals, reportedly worth US $10 billion, that would create about 50,000 jobs back home. His visit and the sweetener of support for India’s …
The cold wave in 2009 that led to the shutting down of Eurorail and flight delays in Europe and the US indicates an inverse relationship between technological advancement and vulnerability to natural elements. But Indian policymakers, by and large, hold economic growth and technological advancement as panacea to climate change. …
All governments need to be watched. You never know when one of them will slip in a nasty tax on the quiet or pass a seemingly simple notification that can be the undoing of entire communities or of the environment. That is the nature of the beast. But how vigilant …
The State Finance Commission, although a technical and quasijudicial constitutional entity like the Union Finance Commission, has to help local governments plan for economic development and deliver social justice and public services at the local level. This article evaluates the history of the performance of SFCs in general and shows …
The study evaluates the performance of Rural Road component of Bharat Nirman and assesses: the coverage of eligible habitations under rural roads; to examine the implementation process including availability, adequacy and timeliness of funds earmarked for rural roads and role of PRIs; the quality of all weather roads under new …
An analysis of the Union Budget 2010-11 must take account of the fact that while expenditure on infrastructure is geared primarily towards meeting the long-term development needs of the business community, social welfare expenditure merely serves the purpose of immediate political gains of the parties in power.
The Ministry of Power (MOP) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) were tasked to prepare the implementation plan for the National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE). NMEEE spelt out the following four new initiatives to enhance energy efficiency, in addition to the programmes on energy efficiency being pursued by …
Bangalore, PTI: Free power to irrigation pumpsets up to 10 HP from August 1, loans at three per cent interest to farmers, weavers and fishermen, enhanced retirement for government servants and a substantial allocation for development of infrastructure were the highlights of the revised State budget presented by Chief Minister …
The Asian Development Outlook 2008, published by the Asian Development Bank, provides the silver lining to an otherwise bleak global economic scenario. The developing countries in the region are expected to grow at a healthy 7.6 per cent during 2008 and 7.8 per cent in 2009. The region posted its …
Better industrial performance in sight. Riding on higher output in cement, coal and electricity, the index of six core infrastructure industries grew 8.7 per cent in February 2008 against 7.6 per cent in the same month last year. This is the second-highest growth in the index during 2007-08, next to …
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday demanded a clear-cut, unambiguous and uniform policy for setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) with emphasis on two points
