Opinion
Oil price on slippery ground
21 Apr 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
When oil prices were reigning above $100 per barrel last year, the world, including India, was anticipating oil prices going up to nearly $200 in just a few months and as such had started preparing itself for oil “independenceâ€. Today, when prices have been in the less than $50 range for some time, the fear of just a few months ago seems unreal.
Climate issue on poll agenda
07 Apr 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
The manifestoes of both major parties in the country have devoted some space to green issues - possibly so explicitly for the first time in India\'s election history - and this should be viewed as an extremely positive development. Having said that, these statements would probably remain mere platitudes given the language in which they are couched. When US President Barack Obama made a similar commitment during his election campaign, he committed a significant amount ($150 billion) of resources to the development of green jobs based on alternative energy forms. \"We\'ll invest $15 billion a year over the next decade in renewable energy, creating five million new green jobs that pay well, can’t be outsourced and help end our dependence on foreign oil.\" A clear and contestable statement of intent. By saying so, Obama made himself accountable to the American public and to the world at large. India\'s political parties must be willing to stand up and make themselves accountable on such issues as well.
The right development choice
24 Mar 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
The World Development Report 2009 (WDR), which focused on reshaping the economic geography, has received a lot of attention in India. This is primarily because the report seems to be implicitly criticising a number of programmes of the government as inhibiting mobility of labour within the country. A case in point is the national rural employment guarantee scheme (NREGS), which has created a wage floor that is being seen as a barrier to the flow of labour within the country to demand centres.
India’s energy conundrum
10 Mar 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
Following the usual pattern of the past several decades, half way into a Plan period the estimates for electricity capacity expansion have been severely downsized from the original level to roughly half of it. The electricity capacity expansion estimates for the Eleventh Plan seem to be suffering the same fate - Kirit Parikh, member (energy), Planning Commission, has recently indicated that against an ambitious target of nearly 80,000 mw, the likely capacity addition in the Eleventh Plan will be about 40,000 mw. This pattern has become so predictable that associated players can almost sit back and relax under the assumption that they would be under no pressure to deliver - a good case in point being the coal industry. Further, shortages in generation are attributed to shortages of coal supplies due to various factors. How can we go so wrong, and consistently so, in our projections?
Arise, before your tap runs dry
24 Feb 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
Just a few days ago, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh achieved the dubious distinction of being declared the first city in the country whose only option for supplying drinking water to its populace was reduced to supply by tankers. This situation arose because the Gambhir dam, which accounts for 96 per cent of the city’s water supply, went dry. The city government had to appeal to the railway minister to provide adequate capacities on the railway system to ferry water to the city. The situation in surrounding areas/districts is no better.
India and China - Who will grab the gas?
21 Feb 2009 |
Mr R K Batra
| The Hindu Business Line
China's current natural gas consumption is twice that of India and both need gas imports by way of transnational pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) by sea to meet growing demand. While natural gas forms 8 per cent of India’s commercial energy supply, it is only 3 per cent in China, which wishes to raise it to 10 per cent. China’s projected gas demand will, therefore, outstrip that of India. The two countries will account for most of the increase in imported gas demand in Asia and many of the countries being targeted for supply are the same.
India in a post-crisis world
10 Feb 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
A Frenchman from the environmental business recently encouraged me to think about the global financial crisis as an opportunity rather than a threat to sustainable development. Citing the example of the US, which is likely to be hit very hard and long by the crisis, he pointed out its focus on the creation of green jobs through the promotion of the renewable energy industry and its acceptance of higher vehicular energy efficiency standards driven by the state of California as a driver for national change. He also philosophised about the need to turn on its head the paradigm for development, which he believed strongly would be driven from India - a society that is steeped in historically rich and enlightened value systems.
Complexities of energy security
27 Jan 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
For decades now, India has considered oil to be its swing fuel that it could easily import in times of shortages and cut back on those imports when superfluous. This strategy worked reasonably well till the time the prices remained reasonably stable and within a given range. The extreme volatility and sky-rocketing prices, as witnessed over the past several months, has exposed the folly of such an approach.
India's integrated energy policy
13 Jan 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
The integrated energy policy of India, which has been in the making since 2005, finally received Cabinet approval in the last week of December 2008. The report of the expert committee set up to define the integrated energy policy was available in 2006. However, it is only the press release of the 2008 version that is available at present and we can hope to see the full document soon.
Let's light up the lives of India's poor millions
11 Jan 2009 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Times of India
One important message that the voters have given, in states where elections were held recently, is a clear preference for performance and development. India\'s place in global affairs has been enhanced substantially in recent years, largely because of impressive economic growth. The strength of this country and the influence it is able to exert in global affairs would depend essentially on India\'s place as a global economic power. Political leaders, therefore, must not only live up to the expectations of their individual constituencies but ensure the growing economic strength of India. And also see to it that the benefits reach out to every citizen of the country.