Opinion
No roadblocks
20 Sep 2005 |
Ms Pragya Jaswal
| The Financial Express
The new concession agreements for national highway projects, recently approved by the Cabinet, are both innovative and imaginative. They recognise some of the major obstacles that have stood in the way of furthering public-private partnerships in highway construction.
People's power in Delhi!
27 Aug 2005 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| The Financial Express
The situation in Delhi vis-a-vis the electricity sector is signaling the awakening of the Indian consumer and this needs to be applauded. We have, for far too long, passively accepted the very poor quality of services provided. As such, it is wonderful that the 'civil disobedience' movement led by the RWAs in Delhi have found a reverberation in Parliament and all parties concerned are scrambling for solutions.
Need to take up new energy R & D in mission mode
23 Aug 2005 |
Dr Sameer Maithel
| The Financial Express
In his address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, President APJ Abdul Kalam emphasised the need for 'energy independence' wherein 'energy security' is a strategy in transition only. He stated: "The strategic goals for energy independence by 2030 would thus call for a shift in the structure of energy sources... The most significant aspect, however, would be that the power generated through renewable energy technologies may target 20-25% against the present 5%".
Energy: a new arena in Indian diplomacy
07 Aug 2005 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Indian Express
The past few weeks have been a hectic period for Indian diplomacy, with forays into territory not traversed so intensely in previous years.
Mumbai deluge: lessons for the future
06 Aug 2005 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Indian Express
The city of Mumbai has been through a frightening trauma with the cloudburst that took place on July 26 and incessant rains on several days since. The population of the city is understandably angry with the breakdown of services and drainage systems and failure of power supply in large areas in and around the city. Two questions arise from this unfortunate experience.
Securing India's Energy Future
05 Aug 2005 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Indian Express
The Iran-India pipeline has been in the news. As one of the two co-authors of this project way back in 1989, I feel gratified by the movement forward, even though impediments continue to dog its prospects. The risks attached to the project have been highlighted in these columns, but the fact is that our energy future is itself fraught with risks that need careful evaluation.
Irony of (in)dependent regulation
04 Aug 2005 |
Ms Manisha Gulati
,Ms Anjali Garg
| Business Line
We create institutions. Then we develop a deep intolerance for them. Further we make demands for those very institutions in different areas. That sums up the story of independent regulation in India. When the economy was liberalized and reforms introduced in the early 1990s, the power and telecom sectors were gradually thrown open to private investment and competition.
How best can we arrive at optimal energy solutions? Back up government role with competing think tanks
22 Jul 2005 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Financial Express
The need for an integrated energy policy has been highlighted and acknowledged by successive governments. It is heartening that the Prime Minister has now established an Energy Coordination Committee, including several ministers in the government and the deputy chairman and member responsible for energy in the Planning Commission. It is hoped that the coal minister will also be added to this group, because India's dependence on coal would remain paramount, as indeed the Prime Minister emphasised in his address to the US Congress.
From Non-Proliferation to Civilian Energy Cooperation
21 Jul 2005 |
Ms Veena Aggarwal
| The Indian Express
This is the right time for India to look again at nuclear power as an important source of energy in the future. Energy security is a hot topic today, and so is sustainable development. Environmental concerns relating to carbon emissions are also increasingly centre-stage. The role of nuclear power has to be appraised in this context.
Synergy in energy
14 Jul 2005 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| The Financial Express
Oil prices are increasing rapidly while we have been debating dismantling of the administered pricing mechanism ad nauseum. Paradoxically, even a private company like Reliance has been asked to share in meeting the subsidy burden! On closer analysis, however, this may not be completely unjustified given that the petroleum product pricing regime, based on a flawed import parity pricing formula, allows refiners huge margins.