India is one of the largest producers of oilseeds globally, significantly contributing to the world oilseed market. The major oilseeds grown in the country include soybean, groundnut, mustard, and sunflower. Despite this substantial production, India faces ongoing challenges in bridging the gap between domestic oilseed production and the rapidly increasing consumption of edible oils.

• Total Consumption: India consumes approximately 22-23 million metric tons (MMT) of edible oils annually.

• Major Oilseeds Consumed: The key oilseeds include soybean, groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, sunflower, and sesame. While domestic production covers a significant portion of this demand, it is not sufficient to meet the entire requirement.

  Edible Oil Consumption Trends

  India's edible oil consumption has been steadily rising, driven by factors such as population growth, urbanization, and changing dietary habits. This surge in demand has led to a heavy reliance on imports to meet domestic needs. Currently, India imports over 55-60% of its edible oil requirements, primarily palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, soybean oil from Brazil and Argentina, and sunflower oil from Ukraine and Russia.

  • Current Per Capita Consumption: The per capita consumption of edible oil in India stands at 19-20 kilograms per annum.

Overview of India's Oilseed Production,Consumption, burgeoning Imports

Evaluating the Impact of Coalition Governments on Environmental, Social, and Governance Issues in India

Introduction

India's political landscape is witnessing a significant shift with the formation of a coalition government after a decade of near-dominant BJP rule. Coalition governments are not new to India, but this transition raises questions about the potential implications for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. This article explores whether coalition governments in India can positively impact these critical areas, weighing the pros and cons and projecting possible future outcomes.

Environmental Impact

One of the most pressing concerns for any government today is environmental sustainability, and for India, this concern is paramount. As the soon-to-be third-largest economy in the world and one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters, India is under the global spotlight. India's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions and its internal policies toward a sustainable future are under scrutiny.

Joshimath - Danger Ahead

Beginning of the year saw a cataclysmic play of events ,in the pilgrim town of Joshimath , in Uttarakhand, a gateway to Badrinath and a critical component of the 'char dham ' itinerary for a devout Hindu. The entire town of twenty thousand people saw a unique case of subsidence in almost a quarter of its built up construction . This drives a chill down the spine of every resident in not only Joshimath, but also makes mountain dwellers in the upper reaches of Himalayas, ponder over their future .

In the name of development many things have preceded this crisis . For one , nearly 800 kms of roads were either widened or built afresh in the last five years in the state of Uttarakhand alone. Hydroelectric projects which were stuck for environmental reasons have been given a fresh impetus.

Every nation along the Himalayas loves dams for their cheap hydro power. It is quite a misnomer to suggest that hydro power is green in nature . It is not ! the destruction and degradation of the environment which goes into trapping increasingly scarce water resources in higher altitudes is seen to be believed and the damage untenable.

Is the 2023 union budget truly a green budget ? What augurs for India, beyond the budget.

Finance minister of India, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman presented her 5th straight budget and possibly her last in this term of of the government on February the 1st ,2023 in the Lok Sabha or the lower house of the parliament. Experts and pundits have lauded her efforts and some have been critical.

what do we make of it .From our point of view , we need to ask if the budget provides any meaningful impetus for India ( the world's third largest polluter), towards mitigation of climate change or green house gas emission. Will the budget help India meet its commitment towards the Paris agreement and its own NDC with the IPCCC . To begin , the minister mentioned 'green growth' as a priority and used 'sustainability' and 'green' many a times in her budget speech. And there were a slew of announcements too. This was clearly a departure from the past. We should  keep in mind of India's G 20 presidency and the emphasis on climate change in that forum. Also the criticism from many quarters on India's slow pace towards their committed climate goals . So was the finance minister serious about green growth in this budget. Were all the announcements that were made, truly reflective of a serious intent . let us examine them in some detail.

The big announcement was the enhancement of capital expenditure budget by 33% to 10 lakh crores or 1.25 trillion US dollars . The bulk of this is slated to be spent on infrastructure projects such as 50 additional airports, from identifying 100 projects to develop last-mile connectivity for sectors such as coal and ports. to railway infrastructure upgrades to public low cost housing under the 'PM Awas Yojna' and others.