Category Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development

DED

Shared River, Stalled Promise: The Mahakali Treaty Revisited (1996)

The Mahakali Treaty of 1996, formally the “Treaty between His Majesty's Government of Nepal and the Government of India Concerning the Integrated Development of the Mahakali River including Sarada Barrage, Tanakpur Barrage and Pancheshwar Project”, was signed in New Delhi on 12 February 1996 and entered into force on 5 June 1997. It runs for 75 years, with a review mandated every ten years or earlier if either side requests it. The treaty also established a joint Mahakali River Commission to oversee implementation and resolve disputes (Government of India [GoI] and Government of Nepal [GoN], 1996).

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Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity Target Rules, 2025: Advancing India’s Climate Governance and Industrial Transition

Climate policy has entered a new phase globally. For nearly three decades, international negotiations primarily focused on setting emission reduction targets. Today, the challenge is no longer limited to defining ambitious goals but to designing credible domestic institutions capable of translating those goals into measurable outcomes.

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Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project: Assessing the Adequacy of Environmental Impact Assessment

The Kalai II Hydroelectric project, a 1200 MW run of the river project on the Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in June 2026. The project aims at strengthening India’s energy security by producing 4852.95 million units of energy annually.

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BHAVYA-Rasayan (2026): Developing Dedicated Chemical Parks to Strengthen India’s Chemical Manufacturing Sector

The Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan (BHAVYA–Rasayan Scheme) was announced in the Union Budget 2026–27 and approved by the Union Cabinet for establishing three dedicated Chemical Parks in India. Of the total financial outlay of ₹3,030 crore, ₹3,000 crore will be allocated for establishing common infrastructure and basic utilities, while ₹30 crore will be earmarked for administrative expenditure. The scheme will be implemented over a period of five years, from FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31. It focuses on strengthening India’s chemical manufacturing ecosystem by creating dedicated industrial clusters with improved infrastructure and shared utilities. 

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National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (2024): Boosting India’s Oilseed Production 

Edible oils form an essential component of India’s food and nutritional security, and oilseeds play a vital role in the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Oilseeds contribute not only to nutritional security but also to farmers’ welfare, serving as an important cash crop that sustains rural incomes and employment.

ANSHU

Solar PLI Tranche II (2022): Strengthening India’s Solar Manufacturing

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the National Programme on High Efficiency Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Modules was approved by the Union Cabinet on 7 April 2021, with a total outlay of ₹24,000 crore, to build gigawatt-scale domestic manufacturing capacity and reduce India's dependence on solar imports. It is administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Tranche-I, a smaller pilot worth ₹4,500 crore, required manufacturers to integrate the full value chain, from polysilicon through to modules, to qualify. This bar proved too high, only three manufacturers ultimately won Letters of Award (LoAs), for a combined 8,737 MW, leaving most of the scheme's intended capacity-building potential untapped.

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