This report summarizes the findings of a review aimed at understanding emerging approaches to energy subsidy reform, discerning trends, and identifying major strands of thinking and research in the field, as reflected in major policy and academic journals relevant to the subject. The review was initiated in early 2020 as …
World Development Report 2008 calls for greater investment in agriculture in developing countries.The report warns that the sector must be placed at the center of the development agenda if the goals of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 are to be realized.
the us and Mexico have accused China of giving illegal subsidies to Chinese companies to boost exports, while imposing tax and tariff penalties to limit purchases of foreign products in China. wto started a formal investigation recently based on the allegations. Concerned about the us's rising trade deficits and lost …
Commerce minstry's subsidy package to bail out vanilla farmers The commerce ministry will bring out a subsidy package to bail out vanilla farmers who have been badly hit by the falling prices of vanilla worldwide (see
India's Targeted Public Distribution System (tpds) gives subsidised essential commodities to economically weaker households. Till 1997, the system had supplied subsidised commodities to all Households under tpds are classed as Below Poverty Line (bpl) and Above Poverty Line (apl) groups based on income. bpl is further divided into bpl and …
The government is being severely criticised for the wheat it is now planning to import. Rightly so. India's season for wheat ended a few months ago. When the crop was being harvested the government dithered on the price it would pay farmers; it floated tenders for import of wheat; it …
Little is publicly known about the efficiency and economics of heavy water production at the Department of Atomic Energy’s facilities. We estimate the cost of producing heavy water at the Manuguru plant by analysing the available budget figures and assuming reasonable values for other factors that affect the cost and …
On May 16, 2007, in a temporary relief, the Supreme Court permitted the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (mnre) to subsidise five pilot waste-to-energy plants. The ministry is taking this as an approval for all waste-to-energy technologies, while experts advise caution. The court had, on May 6, 2005, …
If the Doha Round of negotiations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is stalemated, a great part of it is because of the resistance of small farmers, including those in Asia. One of the terrible truths of the 20th century is that it was a blight on small farmers or …
Diesel cars are expected to corner 50 per cent of the Indian car market by 2010. 2010 is also the Indian government's target year for putting into place European emission standards. The target was set by the auto fuel policy of 2002. It appears to be an unlikely one with …
Now that the reality of climate change has been accepted even by its strongest sceptics, there is a rush to find answers. The latest buzz is to substitute the use of greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels with biofuels - fuel processed from plants. Unfortunately, the way we are going about implementing …
Harare has announced it will discontinue support to new black commercial farmers when the next summer season commences. The decision comes in the face of an economic meltdown. According to a statement issued by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono, the decision came after the government discovered a significant …
"Humne khule mein shauch jaane ki pratha chhod di hai (We have stopped defecating in the open)'. Painted against a whitewashed wall of the primary school in Baruki village, Uttar Pradesh's Bijnaur district, the slogan claims victory in the battle against this practice. But the reality is a little different: …
in yet another indictment of incineration technology, the waste-to-energy plant at Vijayawada recently stopped operations. There is now no functional incineration-based waste-to-energy plant in the country. The closure of the 6-mw Shriram Energy Systems Limited plant in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district, raises serious questions about this technology, which …
It can be said that Union budget, 2007, is high on symbolism and intent. Most people in and close to power acknowledge that something is spoiling booming India's party: price rise, agricultural decay, poverty, mainly. This budget, says finance minister P Chidambaram, is the government's way to fix these problems …
Urban India produces 120,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste each day. Businesses want to burn this garbage to produce electricity, using government subsidies. Environmentalists say this is not viable, given Indian conditions—they also fear toxic emissions from incineration. KUSHAL PAL SINGH YADAV analyses the costs and benefits of India’s waste …
A few years ago, Shaktipada Jena, a small farmer could dream of buying a home solar power system. He'd have to stretch his means to save between Rs 3,100 and Rs 4,800, the going rate. But now prices have gone through the roof and a solar unit is out of …
Praveen Bhargav The Western Ghats is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot. In the past, many large development projects including highways, railway lines, mega dams, nuclear plants and mines have intruded into this biodiversity treasure trove. Lack of knowledge and absence of effective watchdogs contributed to the ad-hoc manner in …
the Union department of information and technology (doit) recently proposed to provide up to 50 per cent subsidy to e-waste recycling units. But only units registered with the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef) will be eligible for the subsidy, said doit. Environmentalists are dismayed at the move. "Recycling …
This paper is based on a review of the effectiveness of solar home systems (SHS) in Africa in meeting users expectations on a service based analytical approach. Various projects have deployed SHS on the promise that they are cost-effective, can meet end-user demands, have ability to alleviate poverty, can save …
