Swaths of the world inhabit a modern dark age, with lack of electricity and modern cooking facilities condemning billions to deep poverty, the top UN energy body said Tuesday. According to the International Energy Agency, more than 20 percent of the global population, or 1.4 billion people, lack access to electricity, while about 40 percent rely on the likes of wood stoves for cooking. "This is shameful and unacceptable," the IEA said...

GUMLA: Now water will reach the fields of Gumla villages without electricity, diesel or Kerosene in the district. This will be possible with application of siphon and gravity based irrigation project. The minor irrigation division in Gumla is all set to launch its first such project on old reservoir at Bendora village under Chainpur block of the district soon. Later, other big reservoirs like Narma in Bishunpur block and others...

To avoid a big burden on the exchequer from the proposed food security law, the Planning Commission will propose some key changes to the plan, including a virtual abandonment of the concept of universal public distribution system (PDS) endorsed by the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC). Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in a presentation to Gandhi later this week would suggest that under the proposed scheme, grain be...

In a bid to curb illegal sale of Kerosene meant for the poor, the Panchmahals district administration has decided to inform the owners of Public Distribution System shops and two persons chosen from each village through SMSes about the arrival of monthly stock and the quantity. Panchmahals collector Milind Torwane said the initiative has been launched on the lines of a similar service started in Chhattisgarh. “We distribute Kerosene in two...

The government is considering several options to rationalise the subsidy on cooking gas such as excluding income tax payers from getting subsidised cylinders, limiting availability per household and higher prices for urban customers to provide this clean fuel in rural areas. “Those who can afford must pay the full price, while subsidised LPG should be made available to the poor,” an oil ministry official said adding that the ministry has...