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The report investigates the financial instability of electricity distribution companies (discoms) in Rajasthan, India, and uses survey data to analyze consumer attitudes toward tariff reform. It finds a widespread lack of awareness regarding the scale of electricity subsidies and strong opposition to price increases due to the high proportion of household budgets spent on power. However, it identifies potential for reform among urban populations and a minority willing to pay more for improved reliability.

The report finds that while Rajasthan has successfully increased its generation capacity and improved reliability, its distribution companies (discoms) face a severe financial crisis. Discoms are unable to recover operating costs through tariffs, leading to mounting debt and a heavy reliance on state government fiscal transfers. Although renewable energy capacity has grown rapidly, investment gaps in transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure hinder the integration of these sources and the achievement of comprehensive rural electrification.

The research reviews the SDMPs of Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha, and Uttarakhand, finding that while they provide a foundation for coordination, they overemphasize response and relief over prevention and risk reduction. The report recommends clarifying institutional responsibilities, innovating financing models, mainstreaming risk reduction across state departments, and better incorporating socioeconomic vulnerabilities and climate change risks into assessments.

The analysis found that while human-induced climate change slightly increased the probability of the 2016 record-breaking heat in Rajasthan, the effect was not statistically significant. The study suggests that the warming effect of greenhouse gases in India is being partially offset by the cooling effects of aerosols and increased irrigation. Despite the lack of a strong temperature trend, the combination of high heat, pollution, and humidity is increasing the health risks and mortality associated with heat waves.

The report finds that while renewable energy auctions are generally cost-effective and fair in project allocation, they often suffer from low deployment due to poor risk management. By analyzing 20 global auctions, the study identifies that project risks (such as transmission and land acquisition) have a greater negative impact on deployment than auction-specific risks. The authors recommend a 'controlled environment' for introducing wind energy auctions in India, including pre-identified sites and resource assessments, alongside the use of strong penalties for non-commissioning and payment guarantee mechanisms to ensure financial viability.

The document examines the disconnect between India's national and state-level disaster and climate policies, which often operate in silos. Through research in Barmer and Leh, it highlights how climate change is increasing the frequency of flash floods and 'invisible disasters'—small-scale events that go unreported. The briefing argues that local multi-stakeholder platforms, community-led knowledge sharing (such as 'weather schools' and radio programmes), and the use of post-disaster 'windows of opportunity' can help harmonise DRR and adaptation efforts and influence national policy.

The report examines how the removal of fossil-fuel subsidies for LPG, kerosene, diesel, and electricity affects men and women differently in India. It finds that current subsidies largely fail rural women, who rely heavily on biomass, and that shifting to cash transfers via bank accounts creates barriers for women due to lower financial inclusion. The author argues for gender-responsive budgeting and targeted interventions to prevent women from reverting to dirtier fuels while promoting their empowerment.

The evaluation of the Kotkasim pilot project reveals that while direct cash transfers effectively reduced kerosene leakages to the black market, they also led to a dramatic decline in household kerosene consumption due to higher upfront costs and poor banking access. The study highlights significant implementation gaps, including inadequate information dissemination and the financial burden placed on Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers. Recommendations include improving financial literacy, digitizing records, and ensuring better coordination between district authorities and beneficiaries.

This case study analyzes the 100 MW Rajasthan Sun Technique concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in India, examining how a combination of national policy, foreign public debt, and private risk management enabled the project despite broader failures in India's National Solar Mission (NSM) phase one. While the project demonstrates the viability of linear Fresnel technology and the importance of long-term public financing, it also highlights the 'winner's curse' associated with reverse auctioning schemes that led to underestimated costs and project delays across the sector.

The Rajasthan Sun Technique CSP plant in India was made viable through a combination of subsidized power purchase agreements (PPAs), long-maturity debt from international public lenders, and a first-mover strategy by a financially strong private developer. While the project achieved low investment and production costs, the broader National Solar Mission (NSM) phase one faced significant deployment delays due to the 'winner's curse' in reverse auctions, overestimation of solar resources, and financing challenges. The project demonstrated high local content (61-71%) and the benefits of linear Fresnel technology, though it lacked energy storage. Key recommendations for scaling CSP in India include improving auction design, incentivizing storage, and mobilizing local private finance to reduce reliance on foreign public debt.

The report evaluates India's 'Green Industrial Policy' as a blend of market-failure corrections and traditional industrial development goals. While the 'green' objectives—energy access, security, and GHG abatement—have seen success, the industrial policy goals of creating a competitive domestic manufacturing base and fostering R&D have fared poorly. The solar sector has struggled against cheap imports, while the wind sector, though more mature, has seen a decline in global competitiveness and a recent drop in installations following the withdrawal of tax incentives.

The report examines India's energy subsidy regime, highlighting the significant fiscal burden of fuel subsidies, which cost an average of 1.4 per cent of GDP since FY 2008. It details policy shifts in diesel, LPG, kerosene, and natural gas markets, noting that while the government has pursued incremental price increases for diesel and consumption caps for LPG, currency depreciation and high international oil prices have maintained high under-recoveries. The document also analyzes the regressive nature of these subsidies, their impact on the trucking industry, and the inefficiencies of subsidized agricultural electricity, which encourages groundwater depletion. It recommends transitioning toward market-based pricing, targeted cash transfers, and structural improvements in transport and irrigation management.

The report analyzes 11 CDM projects across five Indian states, concluding that sustainable development through these projects is largely a 'myth'. It finds severe discrepancies between PDD promises and actual impacts, noting that industrial projects often use CER revenue to expand production, leading to increased pollution. Most projects failed to provide promised local employment, healthcare, or education, and some caused significant harm through illegal land acquisition and environmental degradation. Only the Muni Seva Ashram solar community kitchen project was identified as successfully contributing to social, economic, environmental, and technological well-being.

The report analyzes how the fragmented structure of India's trucking industry, dominated by small operators, makes it highly susceptible to diesel price hikes. It finds that fuel costs account for approximately 55-56% of total operating costs, yet operators are 'price takers' unable to pass these costs to customers due to fierce competition and dependence on brokers. The document recommends short-term measures like fixing minimum freight rates and reducing tollgate delays, alongside long-term structural reforms including improved vehicle fuel efficiency and the introduction of professional training and financing prerequisites.

The Ouarzazate I CSP project achieved a final bid tariff of USD 0.184/kWh, which was 25% lower than initial projections. This reduction was driven by higher estimated annual power generation (425 GWh versus 370 GWh), lower capital costs through increased local manufacturing content (approximately 65%), and a strategic 'early-mover' approach by the winning consortium, ACWA Power. The project utilizes a public-private partnership model where the public sector assumes most political and financial risks, while the private sector manages construction and performance risks. The study concludes that the model is replicable and scalable, as evidenced by the initiation of a second phase for an additional 300MW of solar thermal energy.

This report documents the Second Meeting of the Asian Regional Initiative on Biocultural Community Protocols (ARI-BCP), held in Bangalore from February 18 to 20, 2013, to discuss challenges and collaboration on Biocultural Community Protocols (BCPs) across South Asia.

The report details a meeting in Bangalore where partners discussed using Biocultural Community Protocols (BCPs) to empower communities in South Asia, specifically analyzing their utility under India's Biodiversity Act, 2002 and Forest Rights Act, 2006.

The document challenges the perception of Meghalaya as a peaceful state, identifying deep-seated ethnic tensions between Khasis, Garos, and non-tribal populations. It attributes these conflicts to ethnocentric politics, economic disparity—particularly in the underdeveloped Garo Hills—and disputes over government job quotas. While the government has implemented land transfer laws and development projects, and religious organizations have facilitated negotiations, the brief argues that these measures are often unsustainable or insufficient. It recommends moving away from monetary appeasement toward structural reforms, social auditing, and improved connectivity to the rest of India.

In 2011–12, India's fuel subsidies and under-recoveries totaled INR 1.4 trillion (US$ 27.7 billion), contributing to a fiscal deficit of 1.3 per cent of GDP. The document argues that these subsidies create market distortions, encourage fuel diversion, and undermine energy efficiency. It recommends a phased approach to reform: progressively decontrolling diesel prices over one year, capping LPG cylinders per household and phasing out subsidies over 3–5 years, and replacing PDS kerosene subsidies with targeted direct cash transfers for low-income households.

The report examines the high cost of petroleum subsidies in India, specifically for domestic LPG and PDS kerosene, and proposes a transition to direct cash transfers. It highlights significant under-recoveries for oil marketing companies and systemic leakages in the Public Distribution System (PDS). The authors recommend short-term measures such as capping subsidized LPG cylinders and conducting more pilot studies, while proposing long-term reforms including improved BPL surveys, increased financial inclusion, and calibrated price decontrol.