Big News: India registers 60.05 percent voter turnout in the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections; The Enforcement Directorate (ED) names Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal as an accused in the money laundering case in a supplementary charge sheet; Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission releases the draft Regulatory Commission (Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy) 2024 order; Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) introduces the Draft Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (Framework for Resource Adequacy) Regulations, 2024; and more.
Health
Nothing critical to report this week.
Climate Change & Energy
Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) releases the draft Regulatory Commission (Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy) 2024 order to address challenges pertaining to renewable energy banking, accounting, settlement, and wheeling processes. The draft focuses on refining the modalities for independent distributed renewable energy systems (IDRES) that exceed the first 500 MW or have commenced operations by December 27, 2023, and includes provisions such as permitting carrying forward banked energy after 2 percent banking charge. Source: Solar Quarter; In detail: Draft Order
Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) introduces the Draft Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (Framework for Resource Adequacy) Regulations, 2024 aimed at ensuring resource adequacy (RA) in the state’s electricity sector. These regulations, effective upon their notification, are designed to oversee the planning of generation resources to reliably meet projected demand while complying with specified reliability standards. The objective of these regulations is to establish a comprehensive framework for planning generation resources that will efficiently serve electricity demand at the lowest cost and in a secure manner. Source: Solar Quarter; In detail: Draft Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (Framework for Resource Adequacy) Regulations, 2024
Finance
Asian Development Bank (ADB) approves a $148.5 million loan to boost electricity supply in Sikkim. The loan will help strengthen, modernise, and create a climate-proof distribution system to enhance the reliability, quality, and resilience of the electricity supply in the region. Source: The Print; In detail: ADB Press Release
Industrial Policy & Business Regulations
Haryana approves the Haryana Excise Policy 2024-25, under which country Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and imported foreign liquor (IFL) are set to get costlier due to hike in various charges. Additionally, the bottling fee as well as the bar licensing fee have also been increased. The fee hikes are expected to generate additional revenue of ~$30 million (INR 250 crore) for the state exchequer. Source: Hindustan Times; In detail: Haryana Excise Policy 2024-25
Sikkim launches an Artificial Intelligence-driven traffic management system across the state. The system aims to modernise traffic management and improve regulation efficiency by automatically verifying documents and detecting violations. Source: Telegraph India In detail: Government Order
Land Acquisition & Labor Regulations
Nothing critical to report this week.
Infrastructure & Governance
Delhi grants licenses to ride-hailing platforms including Uber and Aaveg to operate premium bus services. This move comes as part of the government’s efforts to alleviate congestion and reduce pollution by promoting the use of public transport. Source: Millennium Post
Water & Sanitation
Nothing critical to report this week.
Center – State Relations
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) issues a notification exempting solar and renewable energy parks developed by central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) or their joint ventures from having their detailed project reports (DPRs) vetted by state government committees. Instead, DPRs can be submitted directly to central agencies such as the Solar Energy Corporation of India, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, and MNRE. Source: Mercom; In detail: Notification
Any Other
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) names Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal as an accused in the money laundering case related to the now scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy 2021-22, in a supplementary charge sheet. The ED has also named the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as an accused in the case. Source: Hindustan Times
India registers 60.05 percent voter turnout in the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections covering 49 constituencies across 8 states. Source: NDTV; In detail: Press release
