Business
Record $14.5 bn investment in Indian renewable energy sector: IEEFA

Investment in renewable energy in India reached a record $14.5 billion in the last fiscal (2021-22), an increase of 125 per cent compared to FY2020-21 and 72 per cent over the pre-pandemic FY2019-20, a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said on Thursday.
“The surge in renewables investment comes on the back of the revival of electricity demand after the Covid-19 lull and commitments by corporations and financial institutions to net-zero emissions and to exit fossil fuels,” said the report’s author Vibhuti Garg, Energy Economist and Lead India, IEEFA.
“After falling by 24 per cent from $8.4 billion in FY2019-20 to $6.4 billion in FY2020-21 when the pandemic curbed electricity demand, investment in renewable energy has made a strong comeback,” Garg added.
The report highlights the key investment deals made during FY2021-22. It finds the majority of the money flowed through acquisitions, which accounted for 42 per cent of the total investment in FY2021-22. Most other big deals were packaged as bonds, debt equity investment and mezzanine funding.
The largest deal was SB Energy’s exit from the Indian renewables sector with a sale of assets worth $3.5 billion to Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL).
The other key deals included Reliance New Energy Solar’s acquisition of REC Solar holding assets and a host of companies like Vector Green, AGEL, ReNew Power, Indian Railway Finance Corporation and Azure Power, raising money in the bonds market.
India added 15.5 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity in FY2021-22, which brought the total installed renewable capacity (excluding large hydro) to 110 GW as of March 2022 — a long way off the target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the end of this year.
Even with the surge in investment, renewable capacity will have to expand at a much faster rate to reach the target of 450 GW by 2030, Garg told IANS.
“The Indian renewable energy sector needs about $30-$40 billion annually to meet the 450 GW target. This would require a more than doubling of the current level of investment,” she said.
Rapid growth in renewable energy capacity will be needed to meet India’s increasing electricity demand. To move to a sustainable pathway and reduce reliance on expensive fossil fuel imports, Garg said the government needs to act as an enabler by rolling out �big bang’ policies and reforms to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.
“This means not only increasing investment in wind and solar power capacity, but also in creating an entire ecosystem around renewable energy,” she said.
“Investment is needed in flexible generation sources such as battery storage and pumped hydro; expansion of transmission and distribution networks; modernisation and digitalisation of the grid; domestic manufacturing of modules, cells, wafers and electrolysers; promoting electric vehicles; and promoting more decentralised renewable energy such as rooftop solar,” Garg added.
Crime
Man who issued death threat to Delhi CM Gupta, arrested from Ghaziabad

New Delhi, June 7: A man who issued a death threat to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has been arrested by a team from the North-West District Special Staff of the Delhi Police.
The accused was apprehended from Ghaziabad following swift investigative efforts after the threatening call was made late on Thursday night.
According to police officials, the threat call was made to the Ghaziabad Police Control Room (PCR) while the accused was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
Shortly after the threat was received, the Delhi Police Control Room was alerted, and the matter was escalated due to the high-profile nature of the target.
Investigators identified the caller and tracked his location, but by the time authorities reached the source, the suspect had switched off his mobile phone.
After intensive tracing efforts, the Special Staff managed to arrest him from a hideout in Ghaziabad.
Preliminary interrogation has revealed that the accused is a law graduate (LLB), who had been facing personal turmoil due to a troubled marriage. His wife had recently left him, which reportedly pushed him into emotional distress.
Before making the death threat, he had placed another call in which he demanded to speak to his wife, police said.
Interestingly, the accused was found in possession of fake identification cards that appeared to be police credentials, raising suspicions that he may have attempted to impersonate law enforcement personnel.
Officers stated that he repeatedly tried to mislead the police during questioning.
“Assessment of the threat perception of VIPs or VVIPs is conducted by security agencies on the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA),” a senior Delhi Police officer said.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is entitled to Z-category security under the standard protocol. Security agencies are expected to reassess her security cover following this incident, officials confirmed.
Police are continuing their investigation to determine whether the accused has any prior criminal history or links to other disruptive activities.
Authorities have also launched a separate enquiry into the use of forged police IDs found in his possession.
National
Bakrid 2025: Muslims across India celebrate Eid al-Adha with prayers, sacrifice

New Delhi, June 7: Muslims across India are celebrating Bakrid, also known as Eid al-Adha, on Saturday with religious fervour and devotion.
The day began with special congregational prayers held at mosques and Eidgahs in cities and towns nationwide, as people gathered in large numbers to mark the sacred festival.
Eid al-Adha, or the “Festival of Sacrifice,” honours the unwavering faith and obedience of Prophet Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son as an act of submission to God.
In commemoration of this act of devotion, Muslims around the world perform ‘qurbani’, the ritual sacrifice of animals such as goats, sheep, or buffalo, and distribute the meat among family, friends, and those in need.
In India, the festival is being observed with great enthusiasm. In Delhi and Noida, large numbers of devotees offered Bakrid prayers early in the morning at major mosques. According to announcements from local mosque committees, Namaz timings varied slightly, in Noida, prayers were held around 7:00 a.m., while in Greater Noida, the timings ranged from 6:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. depending on the mosque.
In Kalyan, Thane district of Maharashtra, police presence was heightened near the historic Durgadi Fort due to parallel events planned by the Thackeray and Shinde factions, both claiming to continue the legacy of Dharmaveer Anand Dighe’s “Ghantanaad” movement, a 39-year-old tradition.
In other parts of India, the celebrations continued peacefully.
In Khurja, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, large crowds assembled at the Eidgah for morning prayers.
In Bhagalpur (Bihar), thousands gathered at Tatarpur Masjid, CTS Ground, and Shahjangi Maidan to offer prayers. Similarly, in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Eidgah Mosque saw significant attendance during the morning Eid al-Adha Namaz.
Bakrid celebrations are expected to continue throughout the day, with families coming together for festive meals, acts of charity, and community bonding.
Authorities across major cities have deployed additional security to ensure peaceful observances.
National
J&K CM Omar Abdullah makes passionate appeal for statehood restoration

Jammu, June 6: During his welcome address to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Katra town on Friday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a passionate appeal for restoration of statehood.
During his welcome speech for the Prime Minister, CM Omar Abdullah said, “Jenab-e-Wallah (exalted sir), when you inaugurated the Katra railway station towards the end of my first term as the Chief Minister, Manoj Sinha ji was the Union Minister of State for Railways.
“He has been promoted as the Lieutenant-Governor while I have been demoted from the Chief Minister of a state to that of a Union Territory. I am confident that your goodself will soon address the issue and announce statehood to J&K”.
He also praised the Prime Minister for making the dream of a rail link to the Valley a reality.
“I was in class 8 and since then I have been hearing about a rail link to the Valley. The dream has been realised in your time sir.
“The start of the train service to the Valley will save us from the loot of the airlines companies who hike airfare to Jammu from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 whenever the Srinagar-Jammu highway gets blocked.
“I must also pay my gratitude to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who declared the rail link to the Valley a national priority project and made financial allocations for it,” CM Omar said.
On the stage with PM Modi, CM Omar’s body language was very cordial as the PM engaged him in some close to ear talk.
He was also in the forefront of all the official functions on Friday, including the inauguration of the Chenab Railway Bridge, the Anji cable stayed railway bridge, the flag-off ceremony of two Vande Bharat trains, one from Katra to Srinagar and the other from Srinagar to Katra.
CM Omar was among the dignitaries who welcomed the PM on the stage before the latter’s address to the public in Katra stadium.
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