Research Papers

Carbon footprint of urban public transport systems in Indian cities

Ghate Akshima Tejas, Qamar Sharif
| 2020

Investment in public transport is unarguably one of the most critical measures to be adopted by the Indian city authorities to tackle the issue of rising private vehicles, congestion and pollution. A large number of Indian cities are in the process of planning/implementing public transport projects, mainly – city bus system, bus rapid transit system (BRTS) and metro rail transit system (MRTS). Decisions related to the development of a particular type of public transport system are primarily based on technical and financial criteria.

National Mineral Policy 2019: a Remedy as Bad as the Disease?

Vijay Kumar S.
| 2020

The mineral sector is regulated through the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 (MMDR Act) enacted by Parliament, and the rules there under and the changes in the law (and rules) and the policy have generally been going in step. The MMDR Act was amended in 2015, primarily to make auction the sole mode of granting mineral concessions (i.e. prospecting licences and mining leases). Some consequential changes were also made in the rules: the National Mineral Policy (NMP) of 2019 is thus primarily a revision of NMP of 2008.

​Perceptions towards solar mini‐grid systems in India: A multi‐stakeholder analysis

Graber Sachiko, Narayanan Tara, Alfaro Jose F, Palit Debajit
| 2019

​This study identifies and assesses the perspectives of four key stakeholder groups towards solar minigrids in rural India. The stakeholders considered are policymakers, minigrid developers and operators, development organizations, and national grid representatives. Recent state and national policies in India have increased the focus on minigrids and their services.

In the light of what we cannot see: Exploring the interconnections between gender and electricity access

Winther Tanja, Ulsrud Kirsten, Matinga Margaret, Govindan Mini, Gill Bigsna, Saini Anjali , Brahmachari Deborshi, Palit Debajit , Murali Rashmi
| 2019

In this paper we quantify gendered decision-making patterns regarding electricity access, light and appliances in selected rural contexts in Mahadevsthan (Nepal), Homa Bay (Kenya) and Chhattisgarh (India). In the literature, decision-making in electricity has primarily been studied through case studies and qualitative methods. By quantifying some of the gendered patterns in this field, we first seek to document and compare the situation in selected contexts and then to refine the understanding of the nexus between gender and electricity access.

Enabling Policies for Advancing Sustainability of Electricity Access Programs

Bhattacharyya Subhes C, Palit Debajit
| 2019

As 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity globally, the challenge of ensuring universal electricity access in accordance with the Sustainable Energy for All initiative remains herculean. This chapter maps policy linkages, identifies the gaps in policies and recommends options for developing the enabling environment. The chapter suggests that the policy environment governing electricity access at present is weak and that improvements are required to deliver a sustainable outcome.

Roadmap for achieving additional 2.5-3 billion tons CO2e sequestration from forestry sector by 2030

Sharma Jitendar Vir, Tiwari Priyanka
| 2019

​Forests are considered primarily as social and environmental resource, and secondarily as commercial resource in India. More than 350 million people derive their full or partial livelihood and sustenance need from forests. India has stabilized its forest and tree cover but quality of forests is degrading due to unsustainable harvest of fuel wood and other minor forest produce. Government of India has voluntarily communicated to UNFCCC to achieve additional 2.5-3 billion tons of CO2e by 2030 from forestry sector on 2nd October, 2015 which was further ratified on 2nd October, 2016.

A Study on the Evolution of the Regulatory Framework on CSR Linking to Various Amendments in the Campanies ACT 2013

Thakur Amit Kumar, Datta Manipadma
| 2019

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has gained increased significance in recent years. The growing focus on CSR has changed the attitude of businesses all over the world, and India is not an exception. The concept of CSR is n speaking, social responsibility of companies is a well-established phenomenon in India, and the country has one of the world's richest traditions of CSR. In its oldest forms, CSR in India included the concept of corporate philanthropy and the Gandhian Trusteeship model (Ghosh S, 1989).

​Electrochemical sulfur production from treating petroleum produced water.

Jain Pratiksha, Srikanth Sandipam, Kumar Manoj, Sarma Priyangshu M, Singh M.P., Lal Banwari
| 2019

An electrochemical cell was used to remove sulfides from synthetic petroleum produced water (PPW). The cell was run for over 2 months in continuous mode. Sulfides were converted to sulfur at anode with an average conversion rate of 65%. Due to the use of a cation exchange membrane to separate cathodic and anodic chambers, along with sulfide removal conductivity and TDS reduction also took place. Conductivity and TDS reduced by 49.27% and 44.79% respectively on anode and was followed by caustic generation at cathode.

​An Audit of Municipal Solid Waste Management in a Mega-City (East Delhi): Challenges and Opportunities.

Manuja Sourabh, Pandey Suneel , Gulati Pallavi
| 2019

Municipal Solid waste management in developing countries is a gigantic task and its improper management can lead to severe environmental concerns and immense economic loss.