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  • [pib] State Energy Efficiency Index 2019

    The Ministry of Power and New & Renewable Energy has released the ‘State Energy Efficiency Index 2019’.

    State Energy Efficiency Index

    • The first such Index, the “State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index 2018”, was launched on August 1, 2018.
    • The index tracks the progress of Energy Efficiency (EE) initiatives in 36 states and union territories based on 97 significant indicators.
    • It is developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).
    • It categorizes states as ‘Front Runner’, ‘Achiever’, ‘Contender’ and ‘Aspirant’ based on their efforts and achievements towards energy efficiency implementation.
    • It incorporates qualitative, quantitative and outcome-based indicators to assess energy efficiency initiatives, programs and outcomes in five distinct sectors – buildings, industry, municipalities, transport, agriculture, and DISCOMs.

    Performance evaluation

    • For rational comparison, States/UTs are grouped into four groups based on aggregated Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) required to meet the state’s actual energy demand (electricity, coal, oil, gas, etc.) across sectors.
    • TPES grouping shall help states compare performance and share best practices within their peer group.
    • Under four categories based on TPES, Haryana, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Puducherry and Chandigarh have been evaluated as progressive states/UTs in the index.
    • The top performing states Haryana, Kerala and Karnataka – are in the ‘Achiever’ category.
    • Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Rajasthan performed the worst in each of their groups.

    Utilities of the index

    • It will help states contribute towards national goals on energy security and climate action by helping drive EE policies and program implementation.
    • It will help tracking progress in managing the states’ and India’s energy footprint and institutionalising the data capture and monitoring of EE activities by states.

  • NCRB Report on Farmers Suicide

    In 2017, 10,655 people involved in agriculture committed suicide in India, according to data released January 2, 2020 by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB).

    NCRB had released the 2017 crime data last October 2019, but held back information on suicides.

    Highlights of the report

    • NCRB highlighted that the toll was the lowest since 2013.
    • Among those who took their lives, 5,955 were farmers / cultivators and 4,700 agricultural labourers — both lower than in 2016.
    • They comprised 8.2 per cent of all suicide cases in the country in 2017.
    • In 2016, 6270 farmers killed themselves, down from 8,007 in 2015, while 5,109 farm hands committed suicide, up from 4,595.
    • The number of women farmers committing suicide, however, jumped to 480 in 2017 from 275 in ’16.

    Farm suicides over half a decade

    Years No. of farm sector suicides No. of farmers
    2017 10,655 5,955
    2016 11,379 6270
    2015 12,602 8007
    2014 12,360 5650

    Statewise data

    • In 2017, the most number of farm suicides were reportedly in Maharashtra (34.7 per cent), followed by Karnataka (20.3 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (9 per cent), Telangana (8 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (7.7 per cent).
    • The trend was quite similar to previous year: In 2016, Maharashtra accounted for 32.2 per cent, Karnataka 18.3 per cent, MP 11.6 per cent, Andhra 7.1 per cent and Chhattisgarh 6 per cent.
    • In 2015 too Maharashtra tops in farmers suicides followed by Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh in 2016.
    • West Bengal, Odisha, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Puducherry reported zero suicides by farmers or agricultural labourers.

    Causes of Farmers Suicide

    • Major causes of farm suicides were reportedly bankruptcy / indebtedness, problems in the families, crop failure, illness and alcohol / substance abuse.

    Assist this newscard with:

    [Burning Issue] Annual Crime in India Report-2017