Policy Brief
Don’t tinker with the clock to save energy
10 Aug 2011
| Mr R K Batra
On 23 March 2011, all clocks in the UK were turned forward by an hour marking the start of Daylight Saving Time (DST). The clocks will be turned back on 30 October 2011. The objective is to save energy by educing the use of artificial light and maximizing the use of daylight over a period of seven months. While this has been the practice for many years in countries situated in the upper part of the northern hemisphere and the lower part of the southern hemisphere, DST is hardly practised in countries situated closer to the equator.
India's coal reserves are vastly overstated: is anyone listening?
04 Mar 2011
| Mr R K Batra
The policy brief deals exclusively with thermal coal and demolishes the myth that India has plenty of coal. The brief explains in detail why the coal that can be extracted is only a small fraction of our total coal inventories. If we remain in denial, we will not take the urgent and necessary steps to augment these reserves.
Cooking with cleaner fuels in India: a strategic analysis and assessment
07 Dec 2010
| Ms Meena Sehgal
The series 'Cooking with cleaner fuels in India: a strategic analysis and assessment' is a collection of four policy briefs that carry findings emanating from a joint research by TERI and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (with support from UNICEF) on healthy cooking fuel options for India. The briefs trace the usage of different fuels in rural and urban households, health implications of using less cleaner cooking fuels, and stakeholder partnerships of governments, funding agencies, industry and consumer groups to accelerate adoption of cleaner cooking fuels.
Critical non-fuel minerals security: Why India urgently needs to have a policy in place
01 Dec 2010
| Dr Maria Ligia Noronha
Mineral resources security is an issue of significance at both the strategic as well as economic levels. Securing access to sufficient, reliable, affordable, and sustainable supplies of minerals is increasingly becoming an important factor for sustainable functioning of economies. Mineral resources are broadly classified into two categories: fuel and non-fuel. Fuel minerals include fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal, while non-fuel minerals are commonly understood to include a variety of materials such as metals, metal alloys, and non metals.
Strengthening Agricultural Biotechnology Regulation in India
22 Sep 2010
| Dr Vibha Dhawan
The recent decision by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to place an indefinite moratorium on the release of Bt Brinjal for commercial agriculture has brought sharp focus on the stridently polarized views across the scientific community and civil society on the benefits and costs of genetically modified crops. Although agricultural biotechnology has significant potential to address India's food security, public debate has reflected concerns that the full range of potential consequences of these transgenic plants on human health, environment, and farmers' livelihoods must be understood adequately before releasing these plants for commercial agriculture.