Eradicating Energy Poverty

Decentralized energy systems paradigm calls for – a) evidence-based policy for local resource assessment, and b) context-specific energy needs assessment for- overcoming ‘barriers’ to decentralized energy systems in India. The pristine bedrock of the book comprises theoretical underpinnings of empiricism, behaviourism and realism. These concepts find their extension through inter-disciplinarity, and the mixed methods approach adopted for understanding spaces and cultures of energy consumption. Demand side management in energy sector entails-migration from a target-based (TB) approach towards an evidence-based (EB) approach for designing context-based policies in respect of energy demand, and an associated policy shift from a techno-economic regime towards a socio-technical regime embedded in ‘appropriate’ contexts. “Prosumerism holds the key to democratization of energy systems in India.”

​“Dr. Manashvi Kumar presents an incredibly nuanced examination of complex and intertwined conditions that are termed as Energy Poverty. An officer of India's elite civil service (Indian Administrative Service) he has used his zeal for ground level social transformation to conduct extensive field-based studies in a vast swath of rural India to produce this remarkably comprehensive and well researched book. Using multiple methods including surveys and quantitative measures as well as careful ethnographic sensibilities, he offers novel insights into the barriers of energy access for the rural poor, and significantly how (political) power and the distribution of (electrical) power are enmeshed. He argues for policy solutions that are sensitive to the micro-dynamics of socio-cultural contexts in which people and power co-exist.” (-- Professor Navdeep Mathur, Public Systems Group, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.)

"This is a book that breaks new ground on energypoverty. Based on detailed and extensive field work across different geo-climatic zones, the author specifies institutional and policy changes required to decentralize energy systems. This book goes beyond the existing frames of looking at energy, dominated by industrial, corporate and urban needs. By centering his concerns on the needs of the poor, Manashvi brings to the fore the necessity to look at energy in a decentralized and integrated manner to addresses concerns of sustainability." (--Satyajit Singh, Vice Chair, Global Studies, Professor, Departments of Political Science & Global Studies, University of California Santa Barbara, California)

"This book is one of its kind. Ambitious in scope and methodology, it addresses a difficult area in the Politics of Technology. Using his disciplinary training in both the physical and social sciences, he deftly weaves social, economic and cultural perspectives from the lens of the political. It is a valuable contribution to two areas: as a study of technology from the social scientific standpoint, to Social Studies of Science; and as a deeply grounded and analytical appraisal of policy creation and evaluation, to Public Policy studies." (--Madhulika Banerjee, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, Delhi.)

"The book stands out for evidence-based research on policy making. Energy access and policy intervention seeking to ensure access of basic energy to households have been the focus areas of energy policy space for decades. But this book brings a new paradigm by defining the importance of socio-cultural milieu in understanding the nature and demand of energy end use. The incisive case studies lend credence to the message that the book carries–the message that for the policy to move from a mere statement of intent to being an instrument of change, there is a need to delve into the setting of culture, values and practices that the people in rural areas live with, assess the nature and extent of energy poverty and then, design policy encouraging use of locally available resources for a sustainable future. The author holds a promise for change through a deadly combination of his practical experience as a bureaucrat and strong research skills as a hard-core academician." (--Sushanta K. Chatterjee, Chief (Regulatory Affairs), Central Electricity Regulatory Commission)

  

"The ambition at the heart of this work is to gain a comprehensive understanding of energy poverty through research based on primary evidence. This impressive work seeks to understand and explain the gap between policy and practice in provision of electricity through a rigorous study of institutions, politics and lived experiences in rural India. It provides a fresh insight by studying how local power relations influence policy implementation. It argues for a radical shift in approach to rural electrification: from conceiving electricity in purely technical termsto one that gives due recognition to socio-cultural and political dynamics at the local level. Without such a shift, the author argues, creation of an effective mechanism for equitable distribution of electricity will continue to remain a challenge. This important message from an outstanding practitioner has relevance well beyond the subject of this work." (--G D Badgaiyan (IAS retd.), Princeton University Alumnus and Former DG: National Centre for Good Governance.)

 

 

Dr. Manashvi Kumar belongs to the 2004 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) of Punjab cadre. He has an exceptional bachelor’s and master’s degree in earth sciences and an award-winning doctorate in political science. His academic interest spans across subjects pertaining to land, water, energy and power, climate change, regulatory capture, government failure, comparative public policy, inter-disciplinary research, mixed methods research, evidence-based policy and policy analysis.