For more than six decades, India’s civil nuclear program operated under tight statutory regulations. The framework under the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 is restricted to the right to build, own, and operate nuclear power plants to the Central Government and its wholly owned enterprises, primarily being the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI).
Policy UpdateGayathry Sanjay Balaram Background Imagine falling asleep in what should be the safest place on earth, your own home, beside your parents. By morning, your life is gone because a snake entered your house and bit you while you…
The global transition to clean energy and advanced technology has turned rare earth elements (REEs) into "silent sovereigns" of the 21st-century economy. Modern geoeconomics shows that downstream processing capacity has become a greater source of strategic leverage than resource ownership, with refineries, separation plants and magnet manufacturing playing a central role. China currently commands approximately 90-92% of global refining capacity and nearly 92% of finished component manufacturing.1
Asmatwali Background India’s climate diplomacy operates under the Paris Agreement’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) framework, through which each signatory periodically submits self-declared mitigation and adaptation targets. India’s first NDC (2015) rested on three pillars: an emissions-intensity reduction target, a non-fossil…
The Green Credit Programme (GCP) represents one of India's most recent attempts to create market-based incentives for environmental conservation and restoration. Announced in the Union Budget 2023–24 and subsequently notified through the Green Credit Rules of 2023 under the Environment (Protection) Act on 12 October 2023.
India’s merchandise exports were at their highest level ever recorded; the growth in each segment was widespread and included almost all segments of the economy. However, the trade deficit widened by $3.7 billion over last year’s figure of $6.8 billion to reach $10.5 billion.
Policy UpdateTanvi Nerurkar Introduction India’s rapid urbanisation is reshaping its economy and governance landscape. According to the 2011 Census, around 31% of the population lived in urban areas, contributing over 60% of the country’s GDP. NITI Aayog (2021) and the…