17 October, 2025The coal conundrum
As India explores a gradual phase-down of coal and transition to renewable energy, there are potential gains in the form of improved health, ecology, and environment but the challenges around the life...
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Vaibhav Chowdhary Anandjit Goswami 
15 October, 2025
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How extreme heat determines diets in rural India
While the link between extreme heat and crop loss is well documented, less is known about how this translates to undernutrition – an outcome with long-term consequences for health and productivity. ...
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Alan Barreca Manisha Shah Paul Stainier
- 09 October, 2025
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Clearing the air: Do India’s crop burning bans really work?
In December 2015, the National Green Tribunal instituted a ban on crop residue burning across five states. Utilising satellite data on crop fires and administrative data on fines levied, this article ...
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Shefali Khanna Kanika Mahajan Sudarshan Ramanujam
- 14 July, 2025
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Pricey diesel
India was recently ranked 174th out of 178 countries, on air pollution. A key contributing factor is diesel vehicles. This column shows that diesel subsidies benefit the rich more than the poor, and ...
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E. Somanathan
- 31 March, 2014
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Can a clean energy agenda take off in Delhi?
Energy transition in cities, through energy conservation measures and increased reliance on renewable energy, has become a key focus of climate change policies. This column outlines the clean energy ...
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Marie Helene Zerah
- 19 March, 2014
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Deforestation in the Himalayas: Myths and reality
It is widely believed that the extent of deforestation in developing countries is large and growing over time, and that this has significant adverse effects on local livelihoods. This column presents...
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Jean-Marie Baland Dilip Mookherjee
- 10 March, 2014
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Proposing a solution for Indo-US 'solar wars'
India’s national solar programme mandates the use of domestically manufactured components in solar power installations in the country. The US has filed a WTO case against India, alleging that the p...
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Saptak Ghosh
- 28 February, 2014
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Four changes to trade rules to facilitate climate change action
Global climate cooperation has collapsed but the need for action has not disappeared. This column argues that only radical technological progress can reconcile climate-change goals with development. ...
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Aaditya Mattoo Arvind Subramanian
- 24 January, 2014
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Running out of water, walking away from farming
Groundwater tables are falling in India. What will happen when water actually runs out? This column analyses the impact of water scarcity on farmers in Gujarat. It finds that farmers are failing to or...
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Ram Fishman
- 18 December, 2013
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In pursuit of low-carbon electricity
The policy debate on low-carbon energy often tends to focus solely on setting targets. This column argues that the State’s capacity to meet targets and the strategies followed to build the required ...
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Ashwini K. Swain
- 06 September, 2013
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Did the metro help reduce air pollution in Delhi?
The Delhi metro has been operational for over a decade now. Has it helped reduce the high levels of air pollution? This column presents initial findings from research that suggests that the metro has...
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Deepti Goel Sonam Gupta
- 17 May, 2013
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Information and Fuel Choices in Unequal Rural Households
The project studies the factors that affect household’s choice of fuels and associated devices. It attempts to determine how these choices are made when additional information about the costs and be...
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P.P. Krishnapriya
- 01 May, 2013
- IGC Research on India
The unsustainability of fossil fuel use in India
India’s dependence on fossil fuel is widely regarded as unsustainable. This column highlights that this unsustainability is not just environmental in character, but is emerging as a macroeconomic o...
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Ramprasad Sengupta
- 17 April, 2013
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Low-carbon development in Indian agriculture: A missed opportunity?
The agricultural sector is the largest contributor of Greenhouse Gases in India. Yet, it has not received due importance in India’s climate change mitigation strategy. This column says that India m...
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Olivier Charnoz Ashwini K. Swain
- 12 April, 2013
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India's energy consumption: The next 20 years
The environment is a concern the world over – and India is no exception. This column plots India’s energy consumption through to 2032, asking where the challenges lie and where policy reform might...
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Ramprasad Sengupta
- 08 March, 2013
- Articles
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Tweets by Ideas4IndiaMost Popular Environment Posts
Happy Seeder: A solution to agricultural fires in north India
It is believed that much of the pollution in Delhi in November every year originates in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana where farmers burn their fields to dispose of crop residue. This ...
- Ridhima Gupta E. Somanathan
- 12 November, 2016
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Carbon dioxide emissions from India’s industries: Data sources and discrepancies
Industries are one of the most significant contributors to energy-related carbon-dioxide (energy-CO2) emissions in India – the share of industries in the total emissions was 25%, second only to powe...
- Manisha Jain
- 02 May, 2022
- Perspectives
Has environmental regulation been successful in India?
India has an impressive number of environmental regulations – but have they been a success? This column presents evidence that while initiatives such as catalytic converters for cars have reduced ai...
- Michael Greenstone Rema Hanna
- 16 May, 2012
- Articles