World Bank
in India
Vol 20 / No. 2 November 2020
A partnership beyond expectations
THE STORY OF POWERGRID
Civil Services in a World of 08 India's Blue Flag Beaches 19 New Publications 24
Black Swans & Grey Rhinos
A Partnership Beyond
Expectations
The story of POWERGRID
G ood power transmission networks are
of critical importance in India, as the
country’s energy resources – both renewable
India’s manufacturing and industrial
production bore the brunt of this
inadequacy. Without access to
and non-renewable – are spread unevenly reliable electricity, the majority of the
across its territory. industries resorted to in-house diesel
generators to back-up intermittent
Until thirty years ago, however, these networks
power supplies. This placed an
were inadequate. While India had the capacity
inordinate burden on them and added
to generate enough electricity to meet
its growing needs, its power transmission significantly to their costs, as genset
networks were unable to transport this power based power is much more expensive
efficiently from surplus to deficit regions. than grid-based electricity.
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World Bank in India
The creation of one grid in December 2013, the southern grid was
connected to the central grid. India's power
system was now connected synchronously
In 1989, India established POWERGRID - a under POWERGRID - One Nation One Grid
national power transmission company - by One Frequency, making it one of the largest
amalgamating the transmission assets of six synchronously operated grids in the world.
of the country’s power generating entities.
At that time, India's electricity demand
was being met by five regional grids - the
southern, western, northern, eastern and
north-eastern grids. These grids received
electricity from various sources - hydro,
wind, thermal and nuclear . Each regional
grid worked independently at its own
frequency and fed its own region. In case of POWERGRID - One Nation
any shortfall, each grid had to manage with One Grid, One Frequency
its own resources, leading to frequent load
shedding and erratic power supply.
Today, hydropower from Arunachal Pradesh
Once POWERGRID was created, it took up in the far northeastern corner of the country
the mammoth task of connecting these
is transmitted through the logistically
five disconnected regional grids into one
overwhelming 'Chicken's Neck' near Siliguri
single national grid. First, in October 1991,
to light up homes across the country. In
the north-eastern and eastern grids were
addition, thermal power from Jharkhand
connected. Next, in March 2003, the western
grid was connected to these two grids. Three and Chhattisgarh, wind energy from
years later, in August 2006, the northern Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, solar power from
grid was connected, amalgamating the four Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and
regional grids - northern, western, eastern hydroelectricity from Himachal Pradesh all
and north-eastern - into one central grid feed into one national grid, enhancing the
that operated at one frequency. Finally, availability of power across India.
POWERGRID is among the largest and best managed transmission utilities in the
world, and is effectively catering to India’s expanding energy demand. The greatest
compliment came from former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, at the time of
speedy and cost efficient installation of the 2000 MW Talcher Kolar transmission line
when he said “..such performance must be emulated by others too.” The contribution
of multilateral institutions like the World Bank has been commendable specially in
establishing systems and procedures. Today, with the setting up of the national grid,
this institution plays a significant role as a national integrator.
Dr R P Singh CMD (1996-2008)
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It has also become easier to manage demand protect the environment and implement
and supply by transferring power across social safeguards have been adopted.
states and regions as their electricity needs
rise and ebb. Now, for instance, freezing In 2001-02, there were 74 minor grid
winter nights in the mountains of Ladakh can disturbances and three major ones, when
entire cities and regions had to cope with
be warmed by power generated in the far
blackouts. But that is history now. Under
south, while scorching summer days in the
the World Bank’s Second Power Systems
heart of the country can be cooled by power
Development Project (2001-2006),
generated in the northern region. The use of
POWERGRID strengthened its transmission
diesel gensets by industries has also reduced. systems and established a world class national
For instance, in an automobile spare parts load dispatch center which controls the five
manufacturing factory in an industrial zone regional load dispatch centers and manages
of the northern region, the dependence on the grid at the all-India level. Since then,
diesel gensets has gone down from about except for a major grid disturbance in 2012,
20 hours a day in 1990s to about 4 hours a there have not been any major blackouts.
week in today.
Under the World Bank’s Fifth Power System
Development Project (2009-2019), the
Today, almost three decades into
southern region of India was connected
its existence, POWERGRID has
emerged as one of the world's largest to the rest of the national grid with the
transmission utilities. Growing by commissioning of the Raichur (Karnataka)
leaps and bounds, it now owns - Solapur (Maharashtra) transmission line
about 85 percent of India’s inter-state in December 2013. The World Bank also
transmission system and transmits financed the construction of one of India’s
about 40-50 percent of the total largest high capacity substations in Champa
power generated in India. The (Chhattisgarh) in the central region and
rest of the power is transferred connected it with Kurukshetra (Haryana) in
through either state-level the northern region. The commissioning
transmission utilities or of this ‘bipole’ now facilitates the transfer of
private companies. additional 3,000 mega-watts (MW) of power
through a single transmission corridor.
The power of partnership
POWERGRID projects have helped develop
high-capacity transmission corridors,
The World Bank has partnered with contributing towards increasing the overall
POWERGRID since its inception. Over the interregional transmission capacity of the
years, a series of five World Bank supported national grid from 1,500 MW in FY1999 to
power projects amounting to $3.675 billion 102,050 MW in FY2020.
have helped the national utility achieve
world class operations. The institution’s Now, under the World Bank and Government
procurement policy and procedures have of India supported North Eastern Regional
been strengthened; accounting, budgeting Power Systems Improvement Project,
and financial management systems have POWERGRID is constructing transmission and
improved; modern infrastructure technology distribution lines across the northeastern
and techniques have been inducted into its states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur,
operations; and comprehensive policies to Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.
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World Bank in India
World Bank and POWERGRID
The 3-decade long partnership
Northern Region Transmission Project
1990
$ 475 million
Power System Development Project I
1993
$ 350 million
Power System Development Project II
2001
$ 450 million
Power System Development Project III
2006
$ 400 million
Power System Development Project IV
2008 $ 600 million; Additional financing $ 400 million
Power System Development Project V
2009
$ 1000 million
POWERGRID has played a pivotal role in India’s growth by providing reliable & affordable power.
Over the years, it has built a seamless national grid through innovative technology and
increased inter regional power transfer capacity to over 100,000 Megawatts. The World Bank has
been with POWERGRID since its inception and is a valued partner in its long journey to
establish a global standard company.
R N Nayak, Former CMD (2011-2015)
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World Bank in India
Protecting the lines involving forests has reduced from
environment – conserving 6 percent in 1998 to 2 percent in 2019-20.
land and wildlife
A role model for
other nations
POWERGRID has been sensitive to its
green obligations by following policies and
procedures that focus on the avoidance, Over the years, POWERGRID has provided
minimization and mitigation – in that order consulting services to more than 20
– of environmental and social impacts and countries and established transmission
using technology and innovation to conserve lines and substations in some of the riskiest
both land and wildlife resources. Geographical terrain on the planet.
Information System (GIS) and satellite imagery
are used to decide the routes of transmission Currently, POWERGRID provides consultancy
lines and the sites for the construction services to clients in India and abroad,
of substations so that the green cover in
the most recent being working with
sanctuaries and protected forests does not
governments in Fiji, Kenya, Uganda and
have to be cleared to make way for them. In
Ethiopia to construct transmission lines.
some cases, these lines have been made even
Countries in Africa, especially Kenya have
longer to bypass thick forests, while in others,
transmission towers have been made taller to expressed great interest to learn from
minimize the impact on forests. POWERGRID, especially about its corporate
governance structure, technical expertise
For instance, while building the transmission and handling of the environmental and social
line through Meghalaya, routes which passed aspects. POWERGRID is also contributing
through the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary to bolster the exchange of power between
were avoided. In Gujarat, independent Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar.
experts carried out Biodiversity Assessment
Studies to minimize any impact on the Wild Thus, within the span of a few decades,
Ass Sanctuary. India’s national power transmission utility
has proved to be a national integrator,
These measures have had a significant played a significant role in India’s transition
impact. Over the last two decades, the to a middle-income country, and shared its
construction of POWERGRID’s transmission expertise with various countries of the world.
POWERGRID has seen phenomenal growth since its inception in 1989, connecting the nooks and
corners of our vast country into one unified national power transmission grid and contributing to
economic and social development. POWERGRID has been a harbinger of new technologies in the
Indian transmission sector with a focus on sustainability. Today the Company has grown to be an
enabler of power markets in the country and is dedicated to making the grid smart and facilitating
the transition to green power. All along this incredible journey, the World Bank has been a
supportive partner, providing not only finances but also guidance in adoption of best practices in
procurement, project management, financial management, and environmental management.
K Sreekanth CMD (2019)
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DEVELOPMENT
DIALOGUE
India's Civil Service in a World of Black Swans & Grey Rhinos
Axel van Trotsenburg
I am very happy to be here. It was this time
last year that David Malpass addressed all of
you and talked about “Strengthening Indian
with strong growth. The COVID crisis, in
contrast, has forced governments world-wide
to purposely slow down their economies to
Civil Service towards Efficient Service Delivery.” manage the pandemic.
David’s remarks focused on the shift from As a result of the unprecedented sudden
compliance to enable service delivery, stop in global economic activity, the global
partnerships with private sector and economy is on track to contract by 5.2%
community organizations. this year — the deepest global recession
since World War II, and the fourth deepest
David noted that making India’s economic since 1870.
hopes a reality will require patience,
persistence, and lots of energy from you In the longer term, the pandemic could have
and your colleagues. scarring effects on households, firms, and
governments, leading to persistent behavioral
Much has changed since David’s changes that lower potential growth. The crisis
remarks last year - and likely the single threatens to set back decades of economic
biggest change has been the impact of progress and poverty reduction.
the COVID-19 pandemic.
And this concerns us very much, at the World
But many of the same challenges you faced Bank, and is one of the reasons we have
last year, and you likely face this year as well been working so hard to support countries
– how to be an effective, resilient, versatile, mitigate the economic, social, and health
and adaptive civil service, one that can help impacts of this crisis.
your country respond to both the short-term
needs and prepare for a better future. Here in India, on top of existing development
challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has had
significant consequences for lives, livelihoods
Impact of Covid and the broader economy.
The COVID 19 pandemic has brought on the Although India has made remarkable
biggest global crisis we have faced in 80 years. progress in reducing absolute poverty, the
COVID-19 outbreak has likely reversed the
Unlike the financial crisis of 2008, this one course of poverty reduction.
is truly a global shock. For example, the
2008 crisis impacted the G7 mainly – while Between 2011-12 and 2017, India's poverty
countries such as India and China continued rate is estimated to have declined from 20.3%
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World Bank in India
According to our Extreme poverty is
forecasts, per capita expected to increase
income would contract in this year by an
over 90% of the world’s additional 115
economies in 2020, the million people.
highest rate since 1870.
to values ranging from a little over 8 percent • Support to MSMEs to include Emergency
to a little over 11 percent. Recent projections Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
of GDP per capita growth rate indicate that,
• An Agriculture infrastructure fund -
due to the pandemic the poverty rates in 2016
proposed financing facility to promote
and 2020 will be in that upper range — 11.4
post-harvest management infrastructure
percent in 2016 and 11.1 percent in 2020.
and Micro-food enterprise.
The pandemic has exacerbated the • And increased outlays to the Mahatma
vulnerabilities for traditionally excluded Gandhi National Rural Employment
groups, such as youth and women. It has Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) - a universal
hugely impacted jobs. employment guarantee program.
We at the World Bank Group have been
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) closely supporting the Government’s
are considered to have been impacted the strategy, which consists of three phases.
most from lockdown – and these MSMEs
account for the largest non-farm employment • In the first phase, the GoI tackled the
(30%) with about 20% female participation. health aspects, and partnered with the
Bank for a $1 billion health project.
The economic impacts also put at high • In the second phase, GoI invested $23
risk the continued delivery and uptake of billion in social protection programs
essential services such as education, health, to support the poor and vulnerable
nutrition, water and sanitation which are key communities during the lockdown, and
in ensuring that India’s human capital gains the Bank provided financing of $750
are not compromised. million.
The Government of India (GoI) has • In the third phase, GoI focused on
responded rapidly and comprehensively economic stabilization and reducing
to the crisis with a package corresponding to the costs of the lockdown. This includes
about 10% of GDP, including: support to MSMEs and their workers
during lockdown by committing about
• A social protection scheme – the Pradhan 1.5% of GDP to MSME finance. The Bank
Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), to financing of $750 million is supporting
protect the poor and vulnerable this program.
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Taken together this three-pronged strategy Anticipating the black swans and paying
aims at ensuring that tackling COVID-19 does attention to the gray rhinos?
not lead to a stark policy choice between
lives and livelihoods, thereby forging an Climate is one such area
approach that seeks to protect both.
• India has set an example for the world
The broader implication in its commitments under the Paris
of the pandemic Agreement, and its ambitious goals to
develop 175 GW of renewable energy
So what does this all mean for India, and for by 2022.
your role as civil servants? COVID has brought • The Bank is proud to be supporting this
about a different global paradigm where effort with over $1 billion in financing
change is constant, faster and uncertain. which will mobilize over $7 billion in
Financial shocks, climate change, pandemics private capital for solar PV markets across
– such shocks were there before but the India.
frequency and globality of impact is higher.
• India is also embracing the future
through e-mobility, and revolutionary
The world needs to become resilient, adaptive
new technologies for energy storage
and future ready - this is key for survival.
which will reduce its reliance on imported
fossil fuels, and we’re proud to also be
It is both a world of “black swans” (the
supporting India in this.
unanticipated) and a “gray rhino” (obvious
but ignored). You can only see black swans in
the rearview mirror, but gray rhinos lie ahead Another important way to get ready for
in plain view through the windshield. the future is by investing in the civil service
– and ensuring that you have the skills,
So how can India play its part in becoming commitment, and passion to lead your
more resilient and adaptive, and future ready? country forward.
How should Civil Service approach today's changing world &
tomorrows disruptive environment
Resilience Sustainability
Do things Define the
differently future
Civil
Service
Approach
Versatility Foresight
Do different Anticipate the
things future
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World Bank in India
And this brings me to the second part an impact on society is a long-standing one.
of my remarks – your Role You are to be congratulated for your choice.
COVID-19 really heightened people’s How should a modern civil service
awareness of the role of public service in approach today’s changing world
our daily lives. Citizens and businesses and thrive in tomorrow’s disruptive
realized that there are certain things only environment? I see four areas to focus
a government can do. They saw the on: resilience, versatility, sustainability and
government acting to protect public health. foresight:
Now they are equally focused on what the
government is doing to support economic Resilience
recovery. This offers a window of opportunity Do things differently
to re-establish the public service brand.
Some new ways of working are simply
India's public sector performance is critical stopgap solutions. But others can improve
to building back better from the impacts mission delivery moving forward. Because in
of COVID-19 and to achieve its growth and some cases, doing things differently means
inclusion targets. doing things better. What we have to ask of
ourselves: Does the solution improve
Demand for better public services and public mission delivery?
sector performance will only grow as the
economy recovers from COVID-19 impacts For example, the National Disaster
and the middle class returns to its pre-COVID Management Agency (NDMA) and the
trajectory. It will be critical to bridge the gap State Disaster Management Agencies have
between the aspirations of citizens and the funding and protocols for dealing with
ability of governments and the public sector physical disasters.
to meet these aspirations. When Covid-19 struck, they had to adjust
quickly to deem the pandemic as a “disaster”
A competent, motivated and modern to allow release for disaster funds, ensure
civil service will be necessary to achieve emergency supplies (e.g. oxygen), deploy
the Government of India’s priorities and security personnel, and help establish
aspirations. There is a well-established emergency protocols, including the
connection between institutional quality and guidelines for lockdowns, at the National,
economic growth. Strong and resilient public State and District levels.
institutions underpin successful economic
growth and development.
So, my challenge to all of you is how are
Versatility
you responding to this opportunity? What
Do different things
should you be thinking of, doing, to change
the way you work and deliver? Push the boundaries of what government
does to deliver the mission in new ways.
The notion that people are motivated to What we have to ask of ourselves: Does the
work in the public service as a result of solution provide a new way to deliver on the
altruism, a desire to serve, or a wish to have mission?
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In rural India where subsidized electricity One practical and critical area of investment
for agricultural water pumping has resulted for India is data systems that will support
in inefficient energy and water use and better and more evidence-based planning,
disastrous impacts on groundwater, the monitoring and evaluation.
Government is now piloting direct benefit
transfer schemes for farmers which will
result in energy savings, water savings and Reimagining the Civil Service
more productive agriculture.
You all have the opportunity to define the
future. A key goal of the Government of
India is to model new ways of working and
Sustainability new ways of delivering its mandate. To
Define the future do this, the focus will be on renewing
capacities and building new capabilities
Can some of the solutions provide a
amongst civil servants.
springboard to the future and be made
standard practice with the resources
To be future ready in this changing
available and the policy and institutional
world requires both organizational shifts
environment? If not, do we need to
and individual shifts to commit to the future
reimagine the solution or reimagine the
of India.
policy and institutional envelope?
There is a strong correlation between
India has already shown its ability to shape organizational culture and business
the future of the world – the creation of the performance. Organizational culture needs to
International Solar Alliance, and the Prime be stable but also able to adapt to the need
Minister’s vision of ‘One Sun, One Grid, One for change.
World’ – where India would buy and sell solar
power to markets in the east and the west A vision for the civil service cannot be
through an integrated regional power system achieved without significant change to how
are revolutionary steps. we work. To initiate this, we need to prioritize
improvements in four main areas:
• Unified civil service
Foresight • Professional civil service
Anticipate the future • Responsive civil service and
The pandemic has highlighted the • Open and accountable civil service
importance of foresight, which has been
a hallmark of some agencies, particularly These changes will require some
those tasked with fighting adversaries reimagination.
or responding to disasters. Does the
It will require moving away from the
government have the abilities to understand
hierarchical model of bureaucracy focused
trends and uncertainties and analyze
on compliance and regulation to focus on
scenarios to build a bias toward action in the
developing solutions with people, not just
face of uncertainty?
for them.
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World Bank in India
And it will require positioning civil service run but in the medium term the country will
organizations as agile, innovative, and regain this path.
learning organizations.
You are critical to the global progress on
And of course, it goes without saying, climate change and poverty eradication.
governments and civil services need to India needs to address its vulnerabilities
innovate and embrace digital technologies: become more resilient, strengthen its
The greatest innovations are taking place institutions and markets, while leveraging its
using ICT’s. amazing diversity. This will be key for India
to move from low middle income to high
So let me now conclude -- India is middle-income country.
changing. India is aspirational. India is on
the cusp. The role of civil servants to bring forward
strengths of India and address the challenges
The Prime Minister last year noted India’s in governance, will be critical for India to
ambition to become a 5 trillion economy. realize its potential and ambitions.
COVID has dented this trajectory in the short
I challenge you all to rise to this challenge.
Address by Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Managing Director, Operations addresses
Civil Service recruits at the 95th Foundation Training Program at the Lal Bahadur Shastri
Academy of Administration.
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World Bank in India
LIGHTHOUSE
INDIA
Five Lessons for India’s Green Recovery
India can support economic Migrant workers who have Ecological restoration will
recovery from the Covid-19 returned to their villages also help India meet its
pandemic by generating can be encouraged to set up international commitments
green jobs under its vast forest-based enterprises. towards climate change.
public works programs.
W hen the Great Depression devastated
the world in 1929, closing businesses
South Korea too supported economic
recovery in the aftermath of the Korean War
(1950-53) and the financial crises of 1996 and
and rendering millions out of jobs, President
Franklin Roosevelt put three million men 2008 by creating jobs to restore degraded
forest lands. Since 1973, the country’s focus
to work in national parks across the United
on forestry has enabled it to plant over 10
States. The men earned a living wage billion trees, increasing its forest cover by 63
reforesting the parks, creating fire breaks, percent and providing $184 billion worth of
and improving irrigation and drainage. public benefits – or 12 percent of its GDP.
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World Bank in India
Can India do something similar today? Can These programs can help restore forests at
it generate productive employment for the scale, improve the quality of pastures, forests
innumerable migrants who have returned to and wetlands, control erosion and forest fires,
their villages due to the pandemic, while also as well as sequester carbon and conserve
conserving the country’s natural resources biodiversity.
and restoring its dwindling forest base?
“The lessons learnt are being scaled up
“We need to seize the moment,” emphasized under MNREGS and could serve as a model
Dr. Sanjay Kumar, India’s Director General of for other states,” explained Pyush Dogra, the
Forests. Speaking at a webinar on Growing Bank’s senior environmental specialist who
Back Greener organized by the World Bank’s leads the project.
India office and the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), he said. Second, returning migrants can be
“Evolution never happens in a uniform encouraged to set up new forest-based
manner. Changes are cataclysmic, and it is enterprises. Given the rapidly growing
these changes that bring about a change in demand for natural products, returning
the world order. This maybe a period for such
a change.” In India’s north eastern state of
Meghalaya, the World Bank’s
Community Led Landscape
The webinar provided some broad lessons
Management Project is helping
for India during this time of crisis:
create jobs while restoring forests
First, ecological restoration can be and rejuvenating the state’s 6,000
included in India’s vast public works plus natural springs. The work
programs: India can use the Mahatma includes the revitalization of the
Gandhi National Employment Guarantee state’s unique natural heritage –
Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Pradhan Mantri its living root bridges.
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhyaan - which have
a combined annual outlay of $20 billion - to
build the country’s green infrastructure.
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workers can be encouraged to set up Today, every dollar spent on
MSMEs that add value to non-timber forest restoring the landscape has the
produce (NTFP) using their knowledge potential to generate at least
of new technologies and urban markets.
$9 in economic benefits. In the
For instance, instead of rare produce
US alone, ecological restoration
from Himachal Pradesh - such as morel
is a $9.5 billion industry,
mushrooms and Himalayan herbs - being
taken to Amritsar and Delhi for collation and
employing 126,000
processing, returning migrants can process people and indirectly
them near their village homes, generating generating $15 billion
jobs and raising local incomes. Similarly, and another 95,000
India’s 100 million plus tribal and forest jobs (IUCN).
dwellers can be incentivized to process
the hundreds of medicinal plants and Service uses forests to educate and inspire,
forest produce that they have traditionally while in Korea, forests play an important role
collected for their livelihoods, including in the life of a citizen - as a retreat for pre-
honey, tendu leaves, mahua, lac, sal, gum, natal care, a teacher for young children, for
and karanj seeds. recreation and adventure during one’s youth,
for therapy and relaxation from the working
“India’s NTFP sector is valued at over $25 world, and for memorial services after death.
billion, but it rarely results in a steady income
for the tribal populations that collect and sell Fifth, restoring forests and terrestrial
these products,” pointed out Mr. Kumar. landscapes will help India meet its
international commitments towards
Third, thriving forests can benefit climate change and land degradation.
agriculture by helping control erosion, Under IUCN’s Bonn challenge, India has the
improving the quality of soil, water and air, highest global commitment for arresting
climate change, aiming to restore over 20
preventing landslides, reviving pastures,
million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
recharging aquifers, and providing food,
Achieving this could make India the global
fodder and medicines. “Restoring forests
leader in green recovery.
can also help regulate sediment and water
flows in large river basins such as the Ganges In India, some states have already taken the
and Brahmaputra, making agriculture, lead on the path towards green recovery.
hydropower, water supply and roads more Maharashtra’s ‘Green Army’ initiative has,
resilient to the impacts of climate change, for instance, planted 589 million saplings
and reducing air pollution,” said Aditi Jha, between 2016 and 2020 with participation
an environmental consultant with the from all sections of society. And on July 28,
World Bank. 2020, Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous
state, set a world record by planting more
Fourth, restoring India’s natural heritage than 289 million plants in a single day. Some
and unique ecosystems can boost 240 indigenous species were chosen for
opportunities for nature-based tourism. planting to preserve biodiversity and for their
By creating safer habitats for India’s vast potential use in Ayurvedic therapies. Other
biodiversity, forests can help boost tourism, states too can forge a resilient economic
generating gainful employment for rural recovery while leaving a valuable legacy for
residents. In the US, the National Park future generations.
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World Bank in India
Some recent Blogs
Tackling poor air quality: Lessons from three cities
Karin Kemper and Sameh Wahba
How can countries grow their economies and keep air pollution in check at the same time? A new
World Bank report explores that tricky question, looking at the kinds of policies and actions three
leading cities have taken to tackle poor local air quality, providing lessons for other cities.
Read more : https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/tackling-poor-air-quality-lessons-three-cities
Transforming local economies for an inclusive and sustainable
recovery
Louise Cord and Martien van Nieuwkoop
The COVID-19 crisis could push millions of people into extreme poverty and food insecurity, while
millions of existing poor experience even deeper deprivation. Based upon initial World Bank baseline
projections, 73 million more people could be living in extreme poverty in 2020 than was forecast
before the crisis. Importantly, extreme poverty is likely to persist at higher levels in 2021
and potentially beyond.
Read more: https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/transforming-local-economies-inclusive-and-
sustainable-recovery
The remote learning paradox: How governments can truly minimize
COVID-related learning losses
Cristian Aedo, Vatsal Nahata, Shwetlena Sabarwal
A recent survey of 149 countries shows that nearly all have included remote learning in their education
response to COVID-19. But examine this pivot to remote learning closely, and you see a paradox.
Governments are prioritizing online solutions to minimize learning losses. However, the students who
are most at risk of learning losses cannot access online solutions. Globally, 60 percent of national remote
learning solutions rely exclusively on on-line platforms. Yet, almost 47 percent of school students do not
have access to the Internet at home. We call this the Remote Learning Paradox.
Read more: https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/remote-learning-paradox-how-
governments-can-truly-minimize-covid-related-learning-losses?cid=edu_tt_education_en_ext
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Reducing road deaths and injuries with the new
World Bank–Bloomberg Philanthropies partnership
Giannina Raffo, Alina Florentina Burlacu and et.al.
Every year, road crashes claim the lives of 1.35 million people, and leave another 50 million seriously
injured. The majority of victims are part of the working-age population (between 15 and 64 years old).
In fact, road crashes have become the #1 killer of the young worldwide. Importantly, 93% of all road
fatalities occur in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Read more: https://blogs.worldbank.org/transport/reducing-road-deaths-and-injuries-new-
world-bank-bloomberg-philanthropies-partnership
India's electricity consumption data shows economic
impact of COVID-19
Robert C M Beyer, Sebastian Franco Bedoya and Virigilo Galdo
In India and across the world, COVID-19 has disrupted economic activity. Quantifying this disruption
is challenging. Traditional national account estimates, the official government measure for economic
activity, are not very helpful for that. To monitor economic activity in times like these, one needs
instead measures that are available at higher frequency and higher spatial granularity- for example
at the district level.
Read more: https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/indias-electricity-consumption-
data-shows-economic-impact-covid-19
1.47 billion people face flood risk worldwide:
for over a third, it could be devastating
Jun Erik Rentschler, Melda Salhabi
A vast majority of the world’s flood exposed people live in low- and middle- income countries. Not
only major but also smaller, frequent flooding can reverse years of progress in poverty reduction and
development. An estimated 1.47 billion people globally are directly exposed to the risk of intense
flooding — over a third of them, almost 600 million, are poor.
Read more: https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/147-billion-people-face-flood-risk-
worldwide-over-third-it-could-be-devastating
18
World Bank in India
RESULTS AND
ACHIEVEMENTS
Blue Flag Accreditation for India's Beaches
L ooking for a perfect beach holiday! Eight
beaches along the Indian coastline have
recently been certified among the cleanest
What is blue flag
accreditation
and safest in the world and awarded the
coveted Blue-Flag Beach accreditation. Blue Flag beaches are considered the
cleanest and safest beaches of the world. The
India is the third country in Asia, in addition Blue Flag Program, run by the Foundation
to Japan and the Republic of Korea, to receive for Environmental Education (FEE), an
this accreditation and is also the first in the international, nongovernmental, non-
world to be awarded this in a single attempt. profit organization, promotes sustainable
Blue-Flag Beaches in India
Gujarat: Shivrajpur in Dwarka
Diu: Ghoghla
Karnataka: Kasarkod and Padubidri
Kerala: Kappad
Andhra Pradesh: Rushikonda
Odisha: Golden Beach, Puri
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Radhanagar
19
development in freshwater and marine areas. Environment & Aesthetics Management
The selections are made by an independent Services) program supported by the World
jury composed of eminent environmentalists & Bank as part of its $222 million Integrated
scientists. Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZM).
The BEAMS program is aimed at reducing
In this program, beaches, marine spots are pollution in coastal waters, promoting
expected to fulfil stringent criteria – 33 of
sustainable development of beach facilities,
them – to achieve and maintain high standards
protecting, conserving coastal ecosystems
in the areas of water quality, environmental
and natural resources, and encouraging
management and education, accessibility
local authorities, stakeholders to strive and
and safety. Blue flag accredited beaches are
mandated to display prominently the facilities maintain high standards of cleanliness,
provided – location of lifeguards, toilets, hygiene & safety for beachgoers. The
segregated waste bins, first aid facilities and Bank project is helping provide critical
so on for the convenience of the visitors. In infrastructure facilities, pollution abatement
addition, these boards also display information and safety/surveillance services for all the
on the quality of water, the bio-marine life, beaches that have been accredited for Blue-
coastal eco-zones and wetlands. To promote Flag certification. These interventions under
sustainability, the communities in the area the BEAMS program directly supported
are educated to maintain high level of the government’s efforts in meeting the
environmental standards – e.g. no use of plastic, 33 stringent criteria of this highly coveted
no disposal of waste or rubbish in the beach international eco-label.
area and maintain the eco-system.
The World Bank now plans to support India’s
World Bank role and future ambition of replicating this achievement
of the program across 100 beaches over the next five years
under the upcoming World Bank financed
The eight award-winning blue-flag beaches in Enhancing Coastal & Ocean Resource
India, were developed under the BEAMS (Beach Efficiency (ENCORE) Program.
Over 4600 beaches
marinas and boats from
around 50 countries have
so far got the Blue Flag
certification.
20
World Bank in India
NEW PROJECTS
APPROVED AND SIGNED
$120 million to Improve Connectivity in
Meghalaya in India’s North-Eastern Region
October 2020
T he World Bank’s has approved and
signed a $120 million project to improve
and modernize the transport sector of
Improve 300 kms of
Meghalaya, a hill state located in the north-
east of India. This will help Meghalaya to
roads & bridges
harness its vast growth potential for high-
value agriculture and tourism. Benefit 500,000
The Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project inhabitants
(MITP) will improve about 300 km of strategic
road segments and stand-alone bridges Generate employment
by using innovative, climate resilient, and
nature-based solutions. The segments will of about 8 million
serve major agriculture areas, important
tourist destinations, small-scale industries, person days
major towns and underserved populations
by linking them to markets, health and
education centers, and national and This operation will also support the state’s
international corridors. It will also support government “Restart Meghalaya Mission”
innovative solutions such as precast bridges to revive and boost development activities
to reduce both time and cost of construction. affected due to COVID-19 pandemic. It
will help restore transport services for the
“This project will tap into Meghalaya’s movement of agricultural produce, improve
growth potential in two ways. Within the access to health facilities during COVID-19
state, it will provide the much-needed type medical emergencies, benefit about
transport connectivity for underserved 500,000 inhabitants, and generate direct
communities, farmers, and firms. It will also employment of about 8 million person days.
position Meghalaya as a major connecting
hub for international trade through the The $120 million loan from the International
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal Corridor,” Bank for Reconstruction and Development
said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country (IBRD), has a maturity of 14 years including a
Director in India. grace period of six years.
21
$82 million to Provide Safe, Resilient, and
Well-Performing Roads in Himachal Pradesh
September 2020
T he Government of India, the
Government of Himachal Pradesh and
the World Bank signed a $82 million project
“This project will support the Government
of Himachal Pradesh to provide greater
opportunity to smallholder farmers
to support Himachal Pradesh strengthen access domestic and international
its transport and road safety institutions by agricultural markets, attract private
improving the condition, safety, resilience, investments to enhance value chains and
and engineering standards of its state road increase jobs and farmers’ incomes.”
network.
Junaid Ahmad,
The Himachal Pradesh State Roads World Bank Country Director in India
Transformation Project will finance initiatives
to build climate and disaster resilient roads; The project will enhance the state’s ability to
improve road safety along tourism corridors systematically identify, analyze, develop and
in Himachal; enhance logistics along prioritize critical road safety measures that
fruit belts; and support the government’s will benefit all road users. The ‘Safe Systems’
initiative to create a corporate entity approach will be adopted in selected districts
responsible for ensuring well-performing and heavily trafficked corridors. The state
roads. A third of the maintenance contracts highway patrol will be trained and equipped
under the project will be awarded to women- with surveillance gear. An emergency
led Self-Help Groups (SHGs). response system will be established to
help connect accident sites with dedicated
“Himachal Pradesh has the potential to hospitals for post-crash care and data
produce high-value horticultural products. collection.
However, to leapfrog to the next level of
competitiveness in the global value chain, the The $82 million loan from the International
state needs to focus on improving its roads Bank for Reconstruction and Development
and logistics services,” said Junaid Ahmad, (IBRD), has a final maturity of 15 years
World Bank Country Director in India. including a grace period of five years.
Build climate & disaster resilient roads
Logistics for easy access to markets
Improve road safety
Provide employment to women
22
World Bank in India
PODCAST
Kaalavastha
Listen to podcast series produced by the World Bank about Kerala's relationship with the environment
and climate and how it is trying to Rebuild itself after the devastating floods of 2018 & 2019.
1. It Starts with a Drought 4. Taking People Along
2. If A River Doesn’t Flood, 5. Fabric, Folklore,
It Isn’t A River and Fish
3. Two Flows 6. Kaalavastha
23
World Bank in India
WORLD BANK
PUBLICATIONS
Beaten or Broken? Informality & COVID 19
South Asia Economic Focus - Fall 2020
October 2020
South Asia is set to plunge into its worst-
ever recession as the devastating impacts of
COVID-19 on the region’s economies linger
on, taking a disproportionate toll on informal
workers and pushing millions of South Asians
into extreme poverty. The Fall 2020 edition
of the South Asia Economic Focus - Beaten
or Broken? forecasts a sharper than expected
economic slump across the region, with
regional growth expected to contract by 7.7
percent in 2020.
Clearing the Air : A Tale of Three Cities
November 2020
Air pollution presents an increasingly apparent challenge to health and development across
the globe. The health impacts of pollution also represent a heavy cost to the economy.
Countries appear to follow growth paths with different levels of pollution intensity,
suggesting that policy decisions, investments, and technologies all have an important role
to play in affecting the pollution intensity of growth, and that countries cannot simply grow
their way out of pollution. The experiences of three cities – Mexico City, Beijing, and Delhi –
offers some lessons on how countries can tackle the growing challenge of air pollution.
24
World Bank in India
Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020:
Reversals of Fortune
October 2020
COVID-19, along with conflict and climate change,
has not merely slowed global poverty reduction but
reversed it for first time in over twenty years. With
COVID-19 predicted to push up to 100 million additional
people into extreme poverty in 2020, trends in global
poverty rates will be set back at least three years over
the next decade.
WPS9422 Eat Right India: A Case Study
Inflation Targeting in India: An Interim Attempting to Transform India's Food
Assessment Ecosystem to Advance Public Health and
Barry Eichengreen, Poonam Gupta and Improve Lives: Eat Right India: A Case
Rishabh Choudhary Study
Deepika Anand, Ishira Mehta and Ashi Kohli
This paper provides an assessment of India’s Kathuria
inflation-targeting regime. It provides
evidence that inflation-targeting central Eat Right India attempts to address the many
banks were able to respond more forcefully challenges of ensuring that in a country the
to the Covid-19 crisis, consistent with the size, complexity, and diversity of India, the
foods that people access are safe, healthy,
idea that inflation expectations were better
and sustainable. This case study attempts to
anchored, providing more policy room for
capture the story of Eat Right India, as it is
maneuver. taking shape and being rolled out.
Other Publications
The Human Capital The World Bank
Index 2020 Update: Annual Report 2020:
Human Capital in the Supporting Countries
Time of COVID-19 in Unprecedented
September 2020 Times
This report presents an October 2020
update to the Human The Annual Report is
Capital Index (HCI), using the most recent prepared by the Executive Directors of the
health and education data available as of International Bank for Reconstruction and
2020. HCI 2020 data have been collected Development (IBRD) and the International
before the onset of COVID-19 and can act Development Association (IDA)--
as a baseline to track the effects of COVID-19 collectively known as the World Bank--in
on health and education outcomes, as accordance with the by-laws of the two
policymakers consider how best to institutions.
protect human capital from the shock of
the pandemic.
25
Social Protection and Enhancing Government
Disaster Recovery Effectiveness and
Global Facility for Transparency: The Fight
Disaster Reduction and Against Corruption
Recovery September 2020
September 2020 The Report tries to
This note highlights the delve deeper into how
critical contribution that social protection countries are making
can make to a broader disaster recovery progress in addressing corruption. The case
effort by helping directly to disaster-affected studies identified show how reform-minded
households. It is hoped that this indicative governments and civil society organizations
information can help government officials have contributed to reducing corruption.
leading the response and recovery effort
to collaborate with their own national social
protection ministries, departments and Benchmarking
agencies. Infrastructure
Development 2020:
Assessing regulatory
Social Protection and quality to prepare,
Labor – Disaster Risk procure and manage
Management Toolkit PPPs and traditional
October 2020 public investment in infrastructure
This toolkit was projects
conceived for the use of October 2020
World Bank Group (WBG) The report highlights the key findings
staff and consultants. resulting from the data and is organized
The primary target users consist of social around the infrastructure project cycle
protection and labor (SPL) specialists who phases for both the PPP and the pilot TPI
help WBG client countries. The second most assessment.
important target users are those who belong
to either disaster risk management (DRM) or
disaster risk financing (DRF) communities.
Community- and
Nature-Based Solutions
for Integrated
Making It Big: Why
Urban Flood Risk
Developing Countries
Management: Mini
Need More Large Firms
Studios for Water-
September 2020
Sensitive Urban Design
- A Handbook for
The report constitutes
Organizers and Facilitators
one of the most up-to-
October 2020
date assessments of how large firms are
created in low- and middle-income countries The handbook aims to serve as a step-
and their role in development. Target by-step guide and resource for technical
readers include academics, development and nontechnical audiences, government
practitioners and policy makers. officials, city planners and practitioners,
academics, community groups, and others
26
World Bank in India
interested in innovative approaches to The Impact of COVID-19
promoting urban flood resilience that on Foreign Investors:
integrate the needs of various stakeholders Evidence from the
and combine traditional measures with Second Round of a
innovative community- and nature-based Global Pulse Survey
solutions. Saurav,Abhishek;
Kusek,Peter
September 2020
Pension Systems
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound
Plus Climate Risk:
impact on the global economy, triggering
Measurement Plus the deepest global recession of the past
Mitigation eight decades. Together, the crisis and public
October 2020 health response have caused both a severe
This report focuses supply shock in the form of reduced worker
on pension system availability and supply chain disruptions, and
greening and aims to provide data-driven a massive demand shock as consumption
recommendations to orient climate-aligned became restricted and confidence fell. The
investment practices. It relies on insights World Bank forecasts a 5.2 percent contraction
from a series of case studies conducted, in global GDP in 2020, including a 2.5 percent
which profile several leading pension funds decline in emerging markets and developing
and their climate investment strategies. economies (World Bank 2020).
Addressing Food Loss Green Hydrogen in
and Waste: A Global Developing Countries
Problem with Local ESMAP
Solutions August2020
September 2020 Developing countries
The report focuses on with good renewable
the role that food loss energy resources could
and waste (FLW) could play in reducing the produce green hydrogen locally, generating
environmental footprint of food systems economic opportunities, and increasing
while attempting to meet the caloric and energy security by reducing exposure to oil
nutrient needs of a population expected to price volatility and supply disruptions.
increase by 3 billion people in the next 30
years.
27
Policy Research Working Papers
WPS9432 WPS9424
Exporting and Female Labor Market Estimating the Contribution of Short-
Outcomes in Georgia Cycle Programs to Student Outcomes in
Claire Honore Hollweg Colombia
Maria Marta Ferreyra and Andrea Franco
WPS9431 Hernandez
In It to Win It? Self-Esteem and Income-
Earning among Couples WPS9422
Loana Alexandra Botea Inflation Targeting in India: An Interim
Assessment
WPS9430 Barry Eichengreen, Poonam Gupta and
The Scars of Civil War: The Long-Term Rishabh Choudhary
Welfare Effects of the Salvadoran
Armed Conflict WPS9421
Pablo Ariel Acosta Transportation and the Environment: A
Review of Empirical Literature
WPS9429 Shanjun Li and Jianwei Xing
Global Technology for Local Monitoring
of Air Pollution in Dhaka WPS9420
Susmita Dasgupta Secondary Schools and Teenage
Childbearing: Evidence from the School
WPS9428 Expansion in Brazilian Municipalities
Rising College Access and Completion: Martin Foureaux Koppensteiner
How Much Can Free College Help?
Maria Marta Ferreyra WPS9419
Modeling and Predicting the Spread of
WPS9427 Covid-19: Comparative Results for the
Child Care Markets, Parental Labor Supply, United States, the Philippines, and South
and Child Development Africa
Samuel G. Berlinski Susmita Dasgupta
WPS9426 WPS9418
Market Access and Development of the Life Expectancy at Birth and Lifetime
ICT Sector in the West Bank Education and Earnings
Chiara Fratto Mohammad Mainul Hoque
WPS9425 WPS9417
The Voice of Foreign Direct Investment: Revised Estimates of the Impact of Climate
Foreign Investor Policy Preferences and Change on Extreme Poverty by 2030
Experiences in Developing Countries Bramka Arga Jafino
Abhishek Saurav
28
World Bank in India
WPS9416 WPS9407
Perceptions, Contagion, and Civil Unrest Urban Design, Public Spaces, and Social
Christophe Abi-Nassif Cohesion: Evidence from a Virtual Reality
Experiment
WPS9415 Jimena Llopis Abella
Estimating the Demand for Business
Training: Evidence from Jamaica WPS9406
Alessandro Maffioli When Goal-Setting Forges Ahead but
Stops Short
WPS9414 Asad Islam
Small and Medium Enterprises in the
Pandemic: Impact, Responses and the Role WPS9404
of Development Finance Long-Term Effects of Free Primary
Ikmal Adian Education on Educational Achievement:
Evidence from Lesotho
WPS9413 Ramaele Elias Moshoeshoe
Stochastic Modeling of Food Insecurity
WPS9403
Dieter Wang
Implications of Cheap Oil for
WPS9412 Emerging Markets
Predicting Food Crises Alain Ntumba Kabundi
Bo Pieter Johannes Andree
WPS9401
WPS9411 Sovereign Credit Ratings, Relative Risk
Ratings, and Private Capital Flows
Implications of Major Adverse Events on
Productivity Supriyo De, Sanket Mohapatra and Dilip K.
Ratha
Alistair Matthew Dieppe
WPS9400
WPS9410
One Rule Fits All? Heterogeneous Fiscal
Gender Bias in Agricultural Child Labor:
Rules for Commodity Exporters When
Evidence from Survey Design Experiments
Price Shocks Can Be Persistent: Theory and
Jose Galdo Evidence
Arthur Galego Mendes
WPS9409
The Role of Inequality for Poverty WPS9399
Reduction Determinants of Property Tax Revenue:
Katy Ann Bergstrom Lessons from Empirical Analysis
Rajul Awasthi
WPS9408
Small Business Training to Improve WPS9398
Management Practices in Developing A Structural Model of the Labor Market
Countries: Reassessing the Evidence for to Understand Gender Gaps among
'Training Doesn’t Work' Marginalized Roma Communities
David J. Mckenzie Mauricio Salazar-Saenz
29
WPS9397 WPS9383
The Energy-Management Nexus in Firms: Small Area Estimation of Non-Monetary
Which Practices Matter, How Much and for Poverty with Geospatial Data
Whom? Takaaki Masaki
Arti Goswami Grover
WPS9382
WPS9396 Teacher Performance-Based Incentives
Child Stature, Maternal Education, and and Learning Inequality
Early Childhood Development
Deon P. Filmer
Emmanuel Skoufias
WPS9381
WPS9395
Educator Knowledge of Early Childhood
Recruitment, Effort, and Retention
Effects of Performance Contracts for Civil Development: Evidence from Eastern Nepal
Servants: Experimental Evidence from Lindsey Buck
Rwandan Primary School
Clare Leaver WPS9380
Talent Allocation and Post-Reform Growth
WPS9394 in Central America
Growth of Global Corporate Debt: Main Rishabh Sinha
Facts and Policy Challenges
Facundo Abraham WPS9379
Which Firms Benefit from Corporate QE
WPS9391
during the COVID-19 Crisis? The Case of
Making Gravity Great Again the ECB's Pandemic Emergency Purchase
William J. Martin Program
Asli Demirguc-Kunt
WPS9389
What is the Impact of Weather Shocks on
WPS9378
Prices?: Evidence from Ethiopia
Productivity Convergence: Is Anyone
Ruth Hill
Catching Up?
WPS9388 Gene Kindberg-Hanlon
How Useful is CPI Price Data for
Spatial Price Adjustment in Poverty WPS9376
Measurement?: A Case from Ghana The Effects of Land Title Registration
Xiaomeng Chen on Tenure Security, Investment and the
Allocation of Productive Resources:
WPS9387 Evidence from Ghana
Returns to Education in the Russian Andrew Agyei-Holmes
Federation: Some New Estimates
Ekaterina Melianova WPS9375
The Utilization-adjusted Human Capital
WPS9385 Index (UHCI)
Mining and the Quality of Public Services:
Steven MichaelPennings
The Role of Local Governance and
Decentralization
Maty Konte
30
World Bank in India
World Bank
in India
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