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Dear Reader,
Last week, India committed itself to three sets of climate goals at the COP26 Glasgow Summit: One - Reduce non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW; Two - Fulfil 50% of its energy requirements from renewables; and Three - Cut its emissions by one billion tonnes and reduce carbon intensity by 45%. All three to be achieved by 2030. Additionally, India pledged to reach the coveted net-zero target by 2070.
Terming these commitments as “ambitious and bold”, Sunita Narain, Editor, Down To Earth, advocates that India needs to “grow differently” if these targets are to be achieved without citizens being deprived of access to energy and growth. Still, India’s commitment sent a clear message to the world that it was ready to walk the talk on climate change.
And if indeed India was keen to walk the talk, India Development Review argues that climate tech start-ups can play a critical role. This is because of the growing interest from “global capital allocators and policymakers”, the expanding list of innovations in climate-tech, and the parallel growth of an enabling ecosystem to sustain these enterprises.
The RBI’s new rules for authenticating recurring auto-debit card-based payments - subscriptions and bill - has led to severe disruption for businesses. The Bastion discusses the implication of these new rules for the social sector and business innovations.
In Uttar Pradesh, the quest for justice and closure for Dalit survivors of sexual violence is an arduous and lonely struggle - harassed, threatened and turned away by the State. Article 14 chronicles the travails and trauma of six such survivors.
And, the arrest of three Kashmiri students in Agra for their alleged “cheering” for Pakistan’s victory against India at the ongoing T20 World Cup, and their booking for sedition by the UP Police, are greatly concerning. Kashmir Observer argues that while the act by the students may be patently “offensive”, the cases are “untenable” and by no stretch of imagination amount to a crime.
For these and more stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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