The Department of Science & Technology (DST) has constituted a joint Science Communication Forum with a view to facilitate interaction, cooperation, and coordination amongst various public sector science communication institutions and agencies. The Forum brings together science communication efforts spread across various institutions and can help adoption of a common policy and best practices at a wider scale, ultimately aiming towards a national science communication framework. It is represented by senior officials from various central ministries and departments, including Agriculture, Health, Culture, Defense, Space, Atomic Energy, and Information & Broadcasting, in addition to Science & Technology.

World Economic Forum (WEF) announced that India has moved up two positions and has ranked 74^th on a global energy transition index. WEF released the annual rankings on May 13, 2020. With a better ranking, India has shown improvement in key parameters of economic security, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. WEF is a Geneva-based international organization that is for public and private cooperation. Releasing the ranking it further stated that the ongoing COVID-19 crisis will compromise the transition to clean energy by both the developed and developing countries.

India has managed to save a total of ?89,122 Crore in the fiscal year of 2018-19 through authorisation of Energy efficiency Initiatives, said a new government report. Additionally, the report indicated that India’s energy intensity was reduced by 20% in FY19 compared to the intensity in FY05. This aligns well with the target of reducing energy intensity by 33-35%, compared to FY05 level that India had set for itself back in 2015. This target was set for the fiscal year of 2030-31. Energy intensity itself is calculated by the unit of energy required per unit output or GDP (gross domestic product) and less energy used to produce a product reduces the intensity.

• Extension of Draft Environment Impact Assessment Notification (EIA), 2020 till 30th June, 2020. Read more
• Corrigendum Draft Notification Regarding ‘Battery Waste Management Rules, 2020’. Read more
• Annual report 2019-20. Read more/Download

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Indo-Denmark Energy Cooperation between the Ministry of Power, Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry for Energy, Utilities and Climate, Government of the Kingdom of Denmark to develop a strong, deep and long-term co-operation between two countries in the power sector on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit was signed on 5th June, 2020.

The MoU provides for collaboration in areas like offshore wind, long term energy planning, forecasting, flexibility in the grid, consolidation of grid codes to integrate and operate efficiently variable generation options, flexibility in the power purchase agreements, incentivize power plant flexibility, variability in renewable energy production etc. The Indian electricity market would benefit from cooperation with Denmark in these areas.

The European Union (EU) wants to work with India on issues of resource efficiency and circular economy, a European Commission official said. Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Directorate General for Environment, European Commission Brussels, said the EU is looking forward to engaging with India as it moves towards the presidency of the G-20 in 2022. She was speaking at a webinar on 'Resource efficiency for greening of recovery and fostering sustainable economic growth in a resource constrained world'.

India’s Department of Science & Technology and the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency have issued a joint call for proposals that aims at smartly integrating large amounts of renewable energy in local energy systems in Europe and/or India and in this way make energy supply cleaner, more efficient and affordable. The proposals should develop and demonstrate novel solutions, integrating all energy vectors (electricity, heating, cooling, water and wastes), including possibilities offered by batteries and electric vehicles; interconnect them; and optimize joint operation with increased share of renewables and a higher energy efficiency.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister stated that the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India has grown by 18% to reach 73 billion in FY 2019-20. As per the data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), this jump in the investment has been the highest in four years. The Union minister further added that the total FDI has doubled up from 2013-14 when it was only USD 36 billion.

The government has identified "champion sectors" including leather, gems and jewellery, renewable energy, pharma and textiles, to provide hand-holding for investors with a focus on improving India''s manufacturing capabilities.  Asserting that India must regain its rightful place in manufacturing, Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said the whole world not only India has ceded the manufacturing space to a particular geography, in an apparent reference to China.

• Scheme for Promotion of manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS). Read more
• Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing. Read more
• Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme and guidelines to implement (guidelines) Read more