13 October 2021
Moderating high edible oil prices: The government scrapped basic customs duty as well as slashed agri cess on crude varieties of palm, soyabean and sunflower oil till March 2022, a move which will help cool prices and increase domestic availability in the festive season
Gati Shakti National Master Plan: The government launched a digital platform that brings together information on ongoing infrastructure projects; this platform will bring 16 ministries including rail and roadways together; however, there is no indication of any new investments under this plan
The future is electric: private equity groups announce the investment of $1 billion into the electric vehicle activities of Tata Motors
The salt-makers of India: The marginalised community of Agariyas, the salt workers in the Little Rann region of Gujarat, produce 30 percent of India’s inland salt; They live in dire circumstances as the state government refuses to recognise their legal rights; Now, a proposed freshwater lake in the area could swamp everything the region stands for, including salt, prawn trade and the habitat of the near-threatened wild ass
Climate action not fast enough: IEA warns world’s clean energy transition is ‘too slow’; Investment in renewable energy will need to triple by the end of this decade if the world’s climate pledges are to be met