With sabka vikas as its theme, the Union Budget 2025-26 aims at stimulating balanced growth of all regions. Accelerating economic growth and securing inclusive development are, indeed, appropriate goals for a developing country like India.
 

However, in an era marked by climate change and environmental degradation, they may not be sufficient. The global climate emergency mandates that climate change mitigation and adaptation be made central to India’s economic and social policy frameworks – and in this aspect, the Budget is found wanting.

While lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the current landscape of battery energy storage systems (BESSs), they have significant safety issues, as evident from the increasing number of LIB-related fire incidents in countries across the world, including India. Further, critical minerals used in LIB electrodes are geographically concentrated, leading to supply chain vulnerabilities.

India, like many other nations, is going through the transitional phase of electrifying its transport sector. As a member of the EV30@30 campaign led by the International Energy Agency (IEA), India aims to achieve a 30% sales share for electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. The state of Karnataka is a leader in the nation’s clean energy transition and is currently at the third position in EV sales among all states.

Science meets verse in Climate Verses - CSTEP’s first ever poetry zine.

This National Science Day, we step beyond data and dive into emotion, bringing you poetry from our researchers on nature, climate change, and the world we strive to protect. Through words, we explore resilience, hope, and the science that shapes our future.