EDITORIAL 01
Marshland trap: on Sir Creek, Pakistan’s activities
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EDITORIAL 02
India’s direction for disaster resilience
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EDITORIAL 03
An Energy Atmanirbharta Act
What is the Issue:
The slogans “Viksit Bharat” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” encapsulate India’s aspiration to become a developed, self-reliant, and sustainable economy by 2047.
Energy, as the lifeblood of industrial and social progress, lies at the centre of this transformation.
Yet, the absence of a unified Ministry of Energy overseeing coal, petroleum, renewables, and nuclear sectors often hinders policy coherence and long-term strategic planning.
Defining Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar in Energy Context
- Viksit (Developed): Goes beyond GDP growth; it includes social inclusiveness, universal energy access, and environmental sustainability.
- Atmanirbhar (Self-Reliant): Implies strategic autonomy rather than isolation. It must distinguish between:
- Self-sufficiency: Producing all energy consumed domestically.
- Self-reliance: Ensuring secure, diversified, and affordable access to clean energy through global partnerships and domestic innovation.
What are the Challenges in Achieving Energy Self-Sufficiency?
- Petroleum Sector:
- India’s oil import dependence rose from 30% in the 1970s to 85% today.
- Exploration of 26 sedimentary basins remains technologically and commercially limited.
- Hence, full self-sufficiency in crude oil by 2047 is improbable.
- Coal Sector:
- India has the fifth-largest coal reserves globally, ensuring supply stability.
- However, excessive coal reliance undermines the environmental pillar of Viksit Bharat.
Redefining Self-Reliance
- Self-reliance emphasizes resilient supply chains and clean energy access, not total isolation.
- Focus should be on:
- Securing critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, rare earths) vital for renewables and storage.
- Building domestic manufacturing in solar, green hydrogen, and battery sectors.
- Developing global partnerships to ensure sustainable resource access.
- Thus, India should strive for self-reliance, not absolute self-sufficiency.
What is the Condition of Global Backdrop?
- (a) Ecological Crisis:
- The 1.5°C threshold under the Paris Agreement was breached in 2024, signalling climate failure.
- India must champion multilateral climate cooperation, as it is among the most climate-vulnerable nations.
- The “develop first, clean later” model is no longer viable.
- (b) Weaponisation of Energy Trade:
- Globalisation has weakened; energy is now a geopolitical weapon.
- S. sanctions India for Russian oil purchases while importing from Venezuela;
- EU imposes carbon taxes but reopens coal mines—exposing double standards.
- India must adopt a pragmatic, interest-driven policy insulated from Western hypocrisy.
- (c) China’s Resource Dominance:
- China controls processing of critical minerals from Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
- This gives Beijing leverage over the global green transition.
- India must respond with strategic stockpiles and overseas acquisitions of energy and mineral assets.
What needs to be done?
- (1) Legislative Reform:
- Enact an Energy Atmanirbharta Act to coordinate policy across energy sectors and ensure accountability.
- (2) Strategic Reserves:
- Build critical mineral stockpiles, akin to the Strategic Petroleum Reserves, to cushion against supply shocks.
- (3) Global Energy Investments:
- Acquire stakes in foreign energy and mining assets, backed by India Inc. and specialised technical expertise.
- (4) R&D and Innovation Push:
- Expand public–private R&D collaborations among government, academia, and industry.
- Focus on clean technologies, storage systems, and hydrogen innovation.
- (5) Regulatory Simplification and Human Capital:
- Streamline access to land, capital, and infrastructure.
- Ensure contract sanctity and predictability.
- Upskill workforce from traditional oil riggers to solar engineers and green-tech experts.
The vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 can only be realised through a holistic, integrated, and sustainable energy policy that harmonises growth with green responsibility.
True Atmanirbharta lies not in isolation but in resilient self-reliance, driven by technology, innovation, and global cooperation.
An empowered, legislatively backed Energy Atmanirbharta framework can steer India toward a secure, clean, and inclusive energy future.