PM Modi gets emotional as India starts administering vaccines against Covid-19
GN Bureau | January 16, 2021
India on Saturday began the massive vaccination drive against Covid-19, as prime minister Narendra Modi paid tributes the ‘corona warriors’.
“Such a vaccination drive at such a massive scale was never conducted in history. There are over 100 countries having less than 3 crore population and India is administering vaccination to 3 crore people in the first phase itself. In the second phase, we’ve to take this number to 30 crores,” Modi said as he flagged off the first phase of the pan-India rollout of Covid-19 vaccination drive at 10.30 am via video conferencing.
(Illustration: Ashish Asthana)
The Maharashtra government has announced a spending of Rs 2,500 crore annually to develop infrastructure of state-owned distribution company Mahavitaran (MSEDCL).
Out of the total amount, Rs 1,500 crore will be spent on energisation of conventional agriculture pumps and Rs 1,000 crore will go towards strengthening the infrastructure of industrial and urban areas. Additionally the government will implement the new agriculture and renewable energy policies in which solar-based agriculture pumps will be installed and solar power would be made available to farmers during day time.
Addressing a review meeting of the Mahavitaran officials in Mumbai, energy minister Nitin Raut said the funds would be spent for infrastructure development including erection of new substations, installation and distribution of transformers and construction of HT and LT Lines.
Dust and Smoke:
By Awadhendra Sharan
Air pollution is now the world’s leading environmental risk factor. It reportedly causes 5 million deaths globally, India and China alone contributing 1.2 million deaths each. With increased inconveniences and suffering on account of the poor quality of outdoor and indoor air in India, it is imperative to look at how air is impacted by our activities, how it is regulated, and how it affects spaces and bodies across class and gender.
‘Dust and Smoke’ examines the history of smoke as a nuisance in Indian cities, particularly in colonial Calcutta and Bombay. It studies the varied sources of energy used for domestic and industrial purposes, the persistence of old trades, the organisation of industrial production, labouring practices, and urban development projects which produced new sites of work, habitats and commodities on the one hand, and smoke and dust on the other.
Unlocking the value of renewable energy assets through InVITs in India
Tata Power plans to launch first RE InVITs in the country, NTPC too is considering it: What does it mean for investors?
Radha Krishna Tripathy | January 13, 2021
(GN Photo)
India has been witnessing a sluggish demand growth for power amidst COVID-19. It has affected both thermal as well as renewable energy (RE) sector. While thermal sector (coal) plant load factor (PLF) is coming down continuously amidst no new generation building up, renewable energy held its ground through several government measures despite no new appetite shown by the distribution companies. The pipeline is constantly building up for renewable energy assets through new bidding by SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India) and NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation). The policy push to support renewable energy by providing it the most run status helps in building momentum for the investors.
Withdraw Love Jihad Ordinance : 100 Former Civil Servants Write to UP CM Adityanath UP state, once known as the cradle of the Ganga-Jamuna civilisation, has become the epicentre of the politics of hate.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath. Photo: Twitter/@myogiadityanath
Communalism29/Dec/2020
New Delhi: More than 100 former civil servants have written an open letter to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath, urging him to withdraw the ‘illegal‘ and ‘atrocious’ ordinance his government has brought to supposedly curb ‘love jihad’ cases.
‘Love jihad’ is a term recently given credence in Indian law, and refers to an imaginary concept coined by the Sangh Parivar to refer to a non-existent conspiracy by Muslims to trap Hindu women into conversions through forced marriage.