Opinion
Post-APM: the role of the government
16 Mar 2002 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire 8(6)
The government has taken a major step in going ahead with the dismantling of the APM (Administered Pricing Mechanism). The part roll back of liquefied petroleum gas prices is a retrogressive step, but perhaps political pressure influencing the pricing of petroleum products will only fade into irrelevance over time. Also, the government should really have appointed a regulator for the oil industry well in time, but it is hoped that this step will be taken now sooner rather than later, because the government should be distanced from decision-making in this sector. This would happen only if a substantially independent regulatory body is established.
Poverty alleviation and Financing for Development
02 Mar 2002 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire 8(5)
Later this month, an important meeting is scheduled to take place in Monterrey, Mexico, focusing on Financing for Development. This international conference has raised high expectations and considerable preparatory work has been done to highlight the problems of financing for developing countries. In particular, the work of the Zedillo Panel on Financing for Development has provided very useful insights into the nature of the problem. It has also discussed and put forward several approaches by which solutions can be created.
The Union Budget and sustainable development
17 Feb 2002 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire 8(4)
This editorial comes immediately following the presentation of the Government's annual budget by the Finance Minister. In previous years, we have heard and read comments like 'dream budget' and 'historic budget'. Often, the dream has turned out to be a wisp of smoke. Comments this year are subdued, and even mildly critical.
We want our message to be powerful, positive and proactive
10 Feb 2002 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Financial Express
Dr R K Pachauri is respected the world over for his wide-ranging expertise in the critical facets of sustainable development. As Director-General of TERI, he has turned it into a premier research institute. Today, TERI provides support in energy, environment, forestry, biotechnology, and resource conservation to governments, institutions and corporates worldwide. In an interview with Financial Express, he talks about the forthcoming Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2002 and its relevance.
A Green Streak: Reduce the Natural Debt Burden
09 Feb 2002 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Times of India
In the run-up to successive budgets, an issue which is routinely overlooked is that of the role of sustainable development in economic growth.
DSDS: inviting global solutions from global leaders
02 Feb 2002 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire 8(3)
The DSDS (Delhi Sustainable Development Summit) 2002 was held in New Delhi during the period 8-11 February 2002 with the Inaugural Session, at which the Prime Minister of India, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was the Chief Guest, held on the evening of 8 February. It is gratifying that this event, the inspiration for which came from TERI's silver jubilee celebrations in February 2000, has now firmly established itself as an item on the calendar of several distinguished persons from a round the world.
Hiatus in the economy: opportunities for reform
16 Jan 2002 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire 8(2)
The Central Statistical Organization has revised estimates of GDP (gross domestic product) for India for the year 2000/01. It is now estimated that growth of GDP registered a mere 4%, which is, in some sense, a return to the situation at the start of the 1990s. If ever there was an imperative for introducing economic reforms with some degree of seriousness, now is certainly the time. While arguments could be made that the expenditure of the central government is a small portion of the country's economic output, the basic fact is that a large part of it represents unproductive expenditure.
Energy projects can reduce poverty
13 Jan 2002 |
Dr Syamal Kumar Sarkar
,Ms K Nisha Rekha
| The Economic Times
Energy sector operations have been recognised as contributing to poverty reduction through their support to economic growth through the trickle down effect. But, their direct contribution to poverty reduction has been seldom acknowledged, mainly because of lack of a systemic approach to assess such impacts.
Net telephony: Onto a new frontier
11 Jan 2002 |
Asha Ram Sihag2
| The Hindu Business Line
Though it prohibited Internet telephony when it came into force, the National Telecom Policy (NTP 99) allowed the government to take appropriate action in response to developments in the sector.
Institutional change required in India's science and technology programmes
02 Jan 2002 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire 8(1)
News reports indicate that the US administration is planning to support research on fuel-cell technology with the objective of creating transportation options based on hydrogen as a fuel. The previous US administration under President Clinton had, according to reports, committed a total funding level of 1.5 billion dollars for the development of hybrid vehicles that would use hydrocarbon fuels to generate power on vehicles incorporating an electrical drive. The focus of this R&D effort was to increase fuel efficiency substantially. It appears that a reappraisal by the US Department of Energy has culminated in giving a much higher priority to fuel-cell-based transportation rather than the development of hydrocarbon-based electrical vehicles.