Book Authority selects Future of Coal in India, featuring a chapter by Dr Pallavi Roy, as a Top ...
13 November 2020
Future of Coal in India: Smooth Transition or Bumpy Road Ahead? has been selected as a Top Energy Book of 2020 by the BookAuthority .
Dr Pallavi Roy, Lecturer in International Economics, contributed a chapter to the book on the social contract of coal mining in terms of the governance and distributional contexts given that the activity will exist for some time in India.
Many community movements have focused on their loss of rights due to mining while mining has also provided direct and indirect livelihood to many. The chapter describes the possibilities of recasting the social contract to address the 'credibility deficit' of affected communities towards powerful stakeholders in the sector.
Commenting on the selection of the book as a Top Energy Book of 2020 Dr Pallavi Roy said:
“This book explores a fundamentally critical policy tangle for India but which has so far only gained piecemeal attention. For the first time it brings together a comprehensive understanding of the many complexities surrounding the use of coal while making the move to renewable energy. The listing clearly validates this fact and it has been a privilege to work with co-authors who are policy experts.”
About the book:
Despite India's commitments to significantly reduce its emissions intensity the country still remains highly reliant on coal for electricity generation and economic development. The conundrums it faces with coal usage are manifold. Coal is still a cheap fuel for electricity generation and India has significant reserves hence it will be used in the energy mix for some time to come. The rising use of renewable energy however means the impending transition to this new regime will have to be planned carefully. Yet while coal is still being used its continuing deleterious effects on communities around coal mines needs to be tackled urgently. The extensive research done by contributors to this anthology (curated by editors at Brookings India) highlights that this transition will not be immediate and will create winners and losers. The book tries to unpack these complex issues and for the first time brings together perspectives on techno-economic policy challenges and the social contract of coal usage and the transition.