-Economic and Political Weekly   The runaway growth in states of subsidised solar pumps, which provide quality energy at near-zero marginal cost, can pose a bigger threat of groundwater over-exploitation than free power has done so far. The best way to meet this threat is by paying farmers to "grow" Solar Power as a remunerative cash crop. Doing so can reduce pressure on aquifers, cut the subsidy burden on electricity companies, reduce...

-Down to Earth Persisting with the current institutional arrangement will do more harm than good The manner in which the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has agreed to divert 4,578 hectares (ha) of prime forestland to construct the 3,000 MW Dibang multipurpose project (DMP) has yet again convinced me of the need to replace the present system of granting forest clearances. FAC, in its...

-GRIST Media If hard work and enterprise inevitably made you prosperous, every rural woman would be a millionaire. These women have borne the brunt of the radical, often brutal transformation of rural India these past two decades. Our writers examine the hardships they continue to face as well as their remarkable vision to solve some of the greatest problems of our times such as food security, environmental justice and developing a...

-The Hindu Karimnagar (Telengana): Following the prevailing acute power shortage in the rural areas, the Karimnagar Milk Producer Company Limited, albeit Karimnagar dairy, has decided to tap Solar Power in a phased manner by installing the necessary solar panels at all the milk societies, bulk milk cooling units and also at the dairy. Disclosing this to newsmen here on Monday, Karimnagar dairy chairman Ch. Rajeshwara Rao said that they are taking measures...

-The Hindustan Times The World Bank has submitted a detailed action plan that could help the government meet its objective of supplying power 24x7 in the country, with focus on bringing down distribution losses, improving infrastructure and expanding Solar Power. The proposal includes a state-wise turnaround plan for the key seven or eight states that together account for about 80% of the $20 billion (Rs 1.2 lakh crore) annual power distribution losses. Officials...