Opinion
Decision-making processes in India: quality inputs essential
02 Mar 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire VI(5)
The Delhi scene is currently buzzing with activity in preparation for President Bill Clinton's visit to India. Over the past few weeks, several teams of officials from the US have been doing the rounds of Delhi and other cities which were regarded as possible destinations for the Clinton visit, and the contours of the President's itinerary are now fairly clear. Even though President Clinton would be completing his term of office in less than a year, the fact that a US President is visiting India after a gap of 22 years is a significant development. Undoubtedly, at the political level there have been hectic preparations for the discussions that would take place between the US President and the Indian Prime Minister as well as between senior officials from both sides, but it is not clear whether India has prepared adequately to define a common agenda in the fields of science and technology, climate change, environment, and energy.
"Managing transition vital"
01 Mar 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Financial Times
TERI is a premier research organization focusing on energy and environmental issues. In a freewheeling interview with Nitin Chittal of FE-Thinktank, TERI director, Dr R K Pachauri spoke extensively on the ongoing reforms process in the power sector.
"Remove poverty beforetackling environmental problems"
25 Feb 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Indian Express
The capital hosted one of the biggest gatherings of recent years with world leaders and academicians coming for the conference on 'Global Sustainable development in the 21st century: Directions for innovation and change'. The occasion was TERI's 25th birthday. The conference had 400 delegates from 25 countries and those from corporates like Shell, Indian Aluminium Company and Unilever. They rubbed shoulders with representatives from World Bank, UNEP and ex-premiers from Japan, Sweden and Nepal. Dr R K Pachauri, TERI Director, spoke to Sonu Jain.
Call for global sustainable development: TERI's Silver Jubilee Celebrations
17 Feb 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire VI(4)
The third week of February was a momentous occasion for TERI and marked a major milestone in the history of the Institute. In the period 18-21 February, TERI celebrated its Silver Jubilee by organizing a series of conferences dealing with the most critical issues defining sustainable development. TERI staff have reason to feel satisfied and proud that the occasion was able to attract some of the most outstanding leaders from all over the world, drawn from the fields of science and technology, business and industry, international organizations, governments, academia and the media.
Power sector reforms: welcome development
02 Feb 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire VI(3)
The Government of Karnataka has, it is reported, decided on privatizing distribution by the end of the year 2001. This is an extremely welcome development, and according to newspaper reports, the Union Ministry of Power has got into an agreement with the Government of Karnataka to provide certain financial allocations in response to the plans of the state to pursue a time-bound path of reforms. This too is a very healthy and welcome development because in the past the divergence of stands taken by the centre and some states has led to sluggishness in the reforms process with several states unwilling to participate in a purposeful manner.
"Reforms are needed in the upstream sector"
18 Jan 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Economic Times
The energy sector in India has been witnessing significant shifts in the past few years. Both the industry and policy-makers are gradually beginning to realise the fall-outs of the new policies, which are based on market principles rather than administrative prices. While, in the power sector, the government started off with a liberalised policy allowing private investors in generation, distribution and transmission, in the oil and gas sector, the government is now moving towards market prices for petroleum products instead of administered prices.
Dr R K Pachauri, Director-General of TERI, one of the premier research organisations in the field of energy, spoke to Soma Banerjee and M K Venu of The Economic Times on the new trends in this sector.
Greenbudgeting: essential for sustainable economic growth
17 Jan 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire VI(2)
Even though Asia has been afflicted with a serious economic crisis during the end of the 1990s, India has done reasonably well in maintaining a healthy rate of growth. The current phase of economic reforms being implemented by the Government of India has raised expectations that economic growth will be accelerated even further, and investments for key sectors of the economy enhanced in the coming years. The Budget of the Government of India due to be presented by the Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha on 29 February is, therefore, being awaited with great expectations and hopes that it would spur a higher rate of growth of the Indian economy. There are undoubtedly concerns about the budget deficit, which has been threatening to go out of hand, particularly if we look at the combined deficits of the states and the union government. The situation looks daunting, but can be brought under control with effective fiscal discipline.
In the time of trusteeship
08 Jan 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| Business Today
As we step into the New Millennium, the protection of the environment is a critical challenge for countries and companies alike. Historically, socialist countries like the former Soviet Union that practised rigid centralized planning were poor examples of social responsibility and environmental protection. In particular, a large number of cases from the former Soviet Union that are only now becoming known provide horror-stories of total disregard for environmental damage and destruction. Countries with free market economies too have emerged no better.
Greening of business
06 Jan 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| Chartered Financial Analyst 5(5)
There is actually no conflict between environmental protection and development. For thousands of years human society has been deeply responsible in ensuring its welfare while at the same time protecting the environment. However, the advent of the industrial revolution in the countries of the northern hemisphere somehow lost sight of the damage that industrial production and consumption of newer and larger quantities of goods and services would do to the environment.
Power sector reforms: resolute stand essential
02 Jan 2000 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire VI(1)
As this issue goes to press, the power sector in northern India is facing a serious labour problem, with the employees of the UPSEB (Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board) having gone on strike and the danger of other states showing their sympathy by adopting 'work to rule' tactics. The stand taken by the UPSEB employees and unions deserves no public support, because the government of UP has rightly decided to corporatize the electricity industry in the state, with full assurance that all the rights and privileges of the employees will be protected in the new set-up.