Pralhad Joshi is appointed as minister of MNRE

13 Jun 2024 CW Team

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Democratic Alliance cabinet has named Pralhad Joshi as its Minister of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). This man is the new Minister of Power, Manohar Lal Khattar. As a Cabinet minister in the previous government, R K Singh oversaw both the MNRE and Power ministries. This time, the two portfolios will be managed independently by two Cabinet ministers. As the Minister of State overseeing both ministries, Shripad Naik has been appointed. Given the numerous synergies between the Ministry of Power and MNRE, the Prime Minister's choice to designate a cabinet minister for each of the two ministries is unexpected. Since many of the ministries' policies and duties overlap, it's possible that R K Singh was appointed the sole minister of both ministries in Modi?s last dispensation. It is possible, nevertheless, that the Prime Minister has chosen to give MNRE greater priority by appointing a Cabinet minister to oversee the ministry in light of India's vigorous recent push towards renewable energy. India now holds the third-highest capacity for solar energy worldwide. According to Mercom India Research's Q1 2024 India Solar Market Update, India installed over 10 GW of solar capacity in the first quarter of 2024?the greatest amount for a quarter. It's possible that 2024 will break all previous records for solar capacity expansions. By the end of the decade, the government wants to have installed 500 GW of renewable energy capacity. Additionally, it has started the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, whose goal is to equip 10 million homes with rooftop solar panels. A mission directorate has been established by the MNRE to supervise the ambitious programme's execution. It would be expected of Joshi, the former government's Minister of Coal and Mines, to maintain and expand these existing renewable energy projects. In addition, he oversaw the portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs, which facilitated the development of goodwill with all political parties, some of which hold state government positions. With support from all stakeholders, he should be able to push through renewable energy programmes thanks to this expertise. The Ministry of Mines held its first-ever auctions of vital minerals used in the energy transition when Joshi was in charge. There have been three auction tranches conducted thus far. After taking over as the Ministry of Power's chief minister, Khattar, a former Haryana state minister, got right to work, examining the nation's power supply situation with his subordinates. Given that the nation's electricity consumption has been reaching all-time highs as a result of increased industrial activity in recent years, his job would be vital. Together with Joshi, the two ministries will need to include more renewable energy into the total power mix to balance off the use of coal-based thermal energy and guarantee that India's economic engine's electricity needs are satisfied.

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