Reinventing Uses of Energy

Reinventing Uses of Energy

-Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia

To reduce emissions and control global warming, every country expressed its commitment to reinvent the uses of energy in life. There is a need to research the efficient methods of using energy, brainstorm the ideas, and imagine beyond existing uses of energy in primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the economies.

Economic Development with Labour-intensive Businesses

The use of machines generates more emissions than the use of human resources. The skilled manpower with minimum wastage can reduce the waste and e-waste with effective and efficient use of resources. There is a need to work upon ‘zero-defect outputs’ so that wastage of resources can be minimized.

Promoting Alternate Sources of Energy

The dependence on oil, coal, and gas and the increasing use of these items is also a major source of carbon emissions. The promotion of alternate sources of energy can reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. The solar capacity can be increased, for example, at present India has 40 Gigawatts of energy generated and used from solar sources while the potential is more than 5600 Gigawatts, therefore it is need of the hour to work upon it and promote the solar energy resources to the extent possible.

New opportunities for Employment

The paradigm shifts from conventional to alternate sources of energy will create huge opportunities for employed youth to work upon. The funding of such projects in developing and underdeveloped economies will boost economic growth and will also improve the availability of land and water around the world.

Electrification with Wind and Solar Energy Sources

The reforms in the power sector for re-electrification of villages, cities, and metro cities around the world will increase the rate of economic growth. The replacement of coal and gas-based power generation with wind and solar-based plants in a systematic way; will make the countries vibrant and the level of pollution in the air will reduce significantly. Like digitalization using information technology and demonetization using e-currencies, the shift to non-conventional energy sources will make the future bright for the whole of mankind.

Sustainable and Continuous Development in Eco-friendly mode

Till today, the world touched new heights of development but at the same time, the level of carbon emissions also increased with the level of economic development. The reinventing of uses of energy will give us a way to develop the economies in sustainable ways by keeping the pollution levels in control. The new tools of technology will be promoted around the world and cleanliness will also increase the health of the whole mankind. The mining activities for obtaining coal, oil, and gas will be decreased year after year and clean sources of energy will be promoted to meet the increasing energy requirements of the countries. 

Conclusion

With the increase in the quantum of clean energy on the earth, the global warming and climate change problems will definitely be sorted out. 

*Copyright © 2021 Dr. Lalit Kumar. All rights reserved.

This content is written by Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia; a renowned author and trainer. He completed his Doctorate in Commerce from Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra and MBA in Information Technology from GJU, Hisar. He also wrote two books, 15 research papers, and organized more than 200 Training Courses during his working period since 2006 in Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Gurugram. The article was published on 7th November 2021 and last updated on 7th November 2021. The writer can be contacted on lalitkumarsetia@gmail.com 

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Public Sector Reforms : Solution for Revival

Public Sector Reforms: Solution for Revival

-Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia*

The public sector banks are suffering with rise in the Non Performing Assets (NPAs) and the Finance Ministry to Government of India reviews the performance of public sector banks to control the NPAs on annual basis. In 2019, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman directed for the detailed study of NPAs and provided a detailed questionnaire seeking responses from the public sector banks on the reasons for the steep rise in NPAs during the years 2015 to 2019. The questionnaire also sought the responses on 'decline in credit flow'. Instead of rise in IIP from 2.8% (2014-15) to 4.6% (2017-18); the credit to manufacturing sector reduced; why it is reduced? 

It is a great concern, how Government of India achieve the national priorities like doubling farmers income, Jal Shakti, Housing for All, Ease of Living, Ease of Doing Business etc. without the performance of Public Sector Enterprises including Banks.

Public Sector Reforms:

The Public Sector Reforms are planned and implemented to improve the performance of organizations serving citizens directly or indirectly. India being a mixed economy and one of the country with largest population; is facing challenges in overcoming corruption or mal-practices in governance. In 1956, the Industrial Policy Resolution (IPR) identified the areas of strategic importance particularly in public sector undertakings. The core services to citizens are required to be delivered with maximum dedication and without any corrupt practice. In 1960s and 1970s, the public enterprises improved and attracted private investments wherever possible. The public enterprises grew dominantly both in terms of capital as well as number of organizations at central and state levels.

Assessment of Performance of enterprises:

In 1993, there were 237 central public enterprises with investment of Rs. 1,47,000 crores. At that time, after assessing the performance of enterprises, it was found that there were various shortcomings in the public enterprises like : 

(i) Insufficient growth in productivity, (ii) Poor project management, (iii) Inadequate attention to research & development, (iv) Low rate of return on investment, and (v) Lack of innovation

Shortcomings in Enterprises:

Most of the organizations had been seen as white elephants due to such shortcomings. The organizations seemed as burden rather than an asset and even one third organizations identified as sick units (the organizations delivering lowest performance year after year). A large number of organizations had been working with functions of non-strategic and non-core areas. The areas of services had been changed as per the requirements of citizens. The Industrial policy 1991 introduced to reform the public sector organizations with emphasis upon growth and dynamic use of technology. The Industrial Policy 1991 set the future priorities for public enterprises such as 

(i) Essential infrastructural goods & services, (ii) Exploration and exploitation of oil & minerals, (iii) Manufacture of goods of strategic importance, and (iv) Development of technology and manufacturing capabilities in crucial areas for long term economic development.

Sick Units:

The sick units had been referred to Board for industrial & financial reconstruction (BIFR) for their revival. The organizations had been confined to be more strategic, high-tech, and largely perfect in required essential infrastructure. However, the workers or employees of sick units had been protected by making their postings either in healthy organizations or by incorporating similar organizations from fresh level. In 1992, a non-statutory National Renewal Fund (NRF) had been established to provide assistance covering cost of retraining and redeployment of labour. The affected employees had been provided compensation for the loss happened due to the closure of nonviable or sick public sector units.

In order to improve the performance, after every 5 to 10 years, there is always requirement to introduce public sector reforms to cope up with the changes happening in business environment. The need of improving performance and giving autonomy to public sector enterprises leads to introduction of public sector reforms. The accountability and responsibility of employees increased with the pace of growth. The use of memorandum of understanding (MOU) for improving the performance also worked in granting greater autonomy to the organizations.

The healthy public sector organizations used issue of bonds to meet their financial requirements. With mobilising extra budgetary resources, the organizations become effective in meeting their financial requirements. However, the bonds for raising capital had been governed with guidelines issued by the Government. The public sector reforms are aimed to improve the financial performance and improve rate of return. In 1990s and during the years 2001 to 2010; the over staffing of employees is curbed without providing more employment in the organizations. The officers had been provided charges of two or more organizations without recruitment of new officers. Even the government started to provide Voluntary Retirements by launching schemes known as VRS. The data states that in 1990-91, there were 22.19 lakh employees in PSUs and the number reduced to 20.41 lakh due to VRS. This also effects the profitability of organizations positively. The overall net profit earned by Central Public Sector Entreprises increased significantly due to less payments of salaries to employees.

After 2010, with the replacement of planning commission with NITI Ayog, the whole economic environment had been changed. There is greater emphasis on use of technological means in providing services to the citizens. The Right to Information (RTI) act and Citizen Charter with introduction of Grievance Redressal Mechanisms; had become tools of further reforms in public sector organizations. The use of web-sites, applets, and space technology has changed the whole scenario. The NITI Ayog is making public sector organization self-reliance with getting their resources earned from the user charges being charged directly or indirectly from public. The use of Pubic Private Partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure made the resources arranged directly from the beneficiaries. The economic inequalities are targeted with the help of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiatives.

Need of Critical Study of Government Organizations:

It's time to analyse the data and making critical decisions.

*Copyright © 2017 Dr. Lalit Kumar. 

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