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Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)

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Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) CEO recently pledged his support to the implementation of Energy Efficiency (EE) projects in the State of Andhra Pradesh aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change, especially in the MSME sector.

About Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL):

  • EESL is promoted by the Ministry of Power, Government of India, as a Joint Venture of four reputed public-sector undertakings NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited, REC Limited and POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited.
  • It is registered under the Companies Act, 1956 on 10th December 2009.
  • EESL was formed to create and sustain market access to energy efficient technologies, particularly in public facilities like municipalities, buildings, agriculture, industry etc. and to implement several schemes of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India.
  • EESL is also leading the market-related activities of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE):

  • It is one of the eight national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
  • Aim: To strengthen the market for energy efficiency by creating a conducive regulatory and policy regime and envisage fostering innovative and sustainable business models in the energy efficiency sector.
  • The Mission is implemented since 2011.
  • Initiatives under NMEEE: It consists of four initiatives to enhance energy efficiency in energy-intensive industries, which are as follows:
    • Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme (PAT): Implementing a market-assisted compliance mechanism to accelerate the implementation of cost-effective improvements in energy efficiency in large energy-intensive industries.
    • Market Transformation for Energy Efficiency (MTEE): Accelerating the shift to energy-efficient appliances in specific applications through innovative measures to make the products more affordable.
    • Energy Efficiency Financing Platform (EEFP): Facilitating Financial Institutions to invest in Energy Efficiency Projects and Programmes.
    • Framework for Energy Efficient Economic Development (FEEED): Developing fiscal instruments to leverage financing for Energy Efficiency through risk mitigation.
  • Implementation agencies:
  • BEE: Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
  • EESL: Energy Efficiency Services Limited


Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra

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Recently, the Government of India has decided to allow 2000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to open Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country.

About Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras:

  • These are set up under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, which was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in November 2008.
  • Objective: To provide quality medicines at affordable prices for all, particularly the poor, to reduce out-of-pocket expenses in healthcare.
  • These Jan Aushadhi Kendras provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy to expensive branded drugs.
  • Jan Aushadhi stores also sell allied medical products commonly sold in chemist shops to improve the viability of running the Jan Aushadhi store.
  • Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) has been established under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Govt. of India, with the support of all the CPSUs for co-coordinating procurement, supply, and marketing of generic drugs through the PMBKs.
  • The incentive amount of Rs.5 lakh will be provided to set up Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra.

Who can open a Jan Aushadhi Kendra?

  • State Governments or any organization / reputed NGOs/ Trusts / Private hospitals / charitable institutions / Doctors / Unemployed pharmacists/ individual entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for the new Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
  • The applicants shall have to employ one B Pharma / D Pharma degree holder as Pharmacist in their proposed store.


Grain Storage Plan

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Recently, the Union Cabinet approved forming and empowering an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to create the world’s largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector.

About Grain Storage Plan:

  • In order to ensure time-bound and uniform implementation of the Plan in a professional manner, the Ministry of Cooperation will implement a pilot project in at least 10 selected districts.
  • The Pilot would provide valuable insights into various regional requirements of the project, learnings from which will be suitably incorporated for country-wide implementation of the Plan.
  • An inter-ministerial committee (IMC) will be formed under the chairmanship of the Minister of Cooperation, with ministers of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Food Processing Industries, and secretaries as members “to modify guidelines/ implementation methodologies of schemes of the respective ministries as and when the need arises”.
  • Aim: To address the shortage of agricultural storage infrastructure in the country by facilitating the establishment of godowns at the level of primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) and also enables PACS to undertake various other activities.


CITIIS 2.0 Program

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Recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Indian Prime Minister has approved the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain 2.0 (CITIIS 2.0) programme.

About CITIIS 2.0 Program:

  • It is a program conceived by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the European Union (EU), and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
  • The program will run for four years, i.e., from 2023 to 2027.
  • Objective: The program envisages supporting competitively selected projects promoting a circular economy with a focus on integrated waste management at the city level, climate-oriented reform actions at the State level, and institutional strengthening and knowledge dissemination at the National level.
  • Funding: The funding for this program would include a loan from AFD and KfW and a technical assistance grant of Rs.106 cr from the EU.
  • It has three major components:
    • Component 1:   Financial and technical support for developing projects focused on building climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation in up to 18 smart cities through a selection of competitively selected projects promoting a circular economy with a focus on integrated waste management.
    • Component 2:   All States and UTs will be eligible for support on-demand basis.
    • The States will be provided support to (a) set up/strengthen their existing State climate centres / Climate cells / equivalents (b) create State and city-level Climate Data Observatories (c) facilitate climate-data-driven planning, develop climate action plans and (d) build capacities of municipal functionaries. To achieve these objectives, the PMU at NIUA will coordinate the provision of technical assistance and strategic support to State Governments.
    • Component 3:   Interventions at all three levels; Centre, State and City to further climate governance in urban India through institutional strengthening, knowledge dissemination, partnerships, building capacity, research and development to support scale-up across all States and Cities.