The Competition World

With growth in the world economy the demand for energy and transportation has been increasing.  The BRICS nations have been growing and China and India today are consuming higher levels of fuel to sustain their growing economies.  The overall energy requirement in India is likely to increase from 549 Million tonne oil equivalent (mtoe) in 2011-12 to 1433 mtoe by 2031-32, a 2.6 fold increase.  The transport sector which currently consumes 86 mtoe which is about 16% of the energy consumption is likely to increase to 360 mtoe by 2031-32 and would be 25% of the total energy consumption.   The transport sector would grow by 4.2 times.  The transport sector consumed 57% of the oil in 2011-12 and this would go up-to 73% by 2031-32 in the business as usual scenario. About  97% of the fuel basket for transportation is based on petroleum and the balance 3% is equally shared by CNG, bio-fuels and electricity.  As per the current trends this mix would con...

Biological diversity, encompasses all life forms on earth. Biodiversity maintains the ecological balance and continues evolutionary processes. The very survival of humankind depends on these core ecological functions. The indirect ecosystem services provided through biodiversity include: photosynthesis, pollination, transpiration, maintaining the balance of atmospheric gases, maintaining hydrological cycles, chemical cycling, nutrient cycling, pest control, etc. Biodiversity also has aesthetic and recreational value. Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is therefore fundamental to ecologically sustainable development. In fact the very survival of humankind depends upon biological diversity. Biodiversity manifests itself at three levels: species diversity which refers to the numbers and kinds of living organisms, genetic diversity which refers to the genetic variation within a population of species, and ecosystem diversity which is the variety of habitats, biologic...

Image Source: Tribune Biodiversity as we see today is the outcome of over 3.5 billion years of evolutionary history, shaped by natural processes and increasingly, by the influence of human beings. Biodiversity forms the web of life of which man is an integral part and upon which he fully depends. Biodiversity is not distributed uniformly across the globe. Certain countries, lying wholly or partly within the tropics, are characterized by high species richness and more number of endemic species. These countries are known as Mega diverse countries. India is one of the identified mega diverse countries of the World. With only 2.4% of the land area, and accounts for 7-8% of the recorded species of the world. Over 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals have been recorded so far. It is remarkable to note that India maintains this biodiversity while supporting 20% of the world’s human and cattle population. The wide diversity in physical features and climatic situatio...

I. The Critical Question The single most critical question which has tormented the Indian establishment consisting of most thinkers, intellectuals, academics, political leaders, policy makers, economists, sociologists of India since Independence is whether the Indian religions, culture, traditions, lifestyle and values are compatible with the contemporary time, particularly for economic development. This question has also acutely tested the faith and conviction of the people in Hindu culture which constituted, according to the Supreme Court, the way of life, ethos and traditions of the Indian nation itself. [1] It has also challenged the capacity of the religious and spiritual leaders to help sutain the faith of the people in their religion and philosophy. While the Indian establishment had virtually concluded that India's traditions and culture are incompatible with contemporary economic thinking, the people of India did not agree with the establishment and the religious a...