Energy
            ENERGY is an essential input for economic development and improving the quality of life.
      Development of conventional forms of energy for meeting the growing energy needs of society
      at a reasonable cost is the responsibility of the government. Development and promotion of non-
      conventional/alternate/ new and renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and bio-energy,
      etc., are also getting sustained attention. Nuclear energy development is being geared up to
      contribute significantly to the overall energy availability in the country.
      Power
            Power development in India commenced at the end of the nineteenth century with the
      commissioning of electricity supply in Darjeeling during 1897, followed by the commissioning
      of a hydro-power station at Sivasamudram in Karnataka during 1902. In the pre-Independence
      era, the power supply was mainly in the private sector, that too restricted to the urban areas. With
      the formation of State Electricity Boards during Five-Year Plans, a significant step was taken in
      bringing about a systematic growth of power supply industry all over the country. A number of
      multi-purpose projects came into being, and with the setting up of thermal, hydro and nuclear
      power stations, power generation started increasing significantly.
            The Ministry of Power is primarily responsible for the development of electrical energy in
      the country. The Ministry is concerned with perspective planning, policy formulation, processing
      of projects for investment decisions, monitoring of the implementation of power projects,
      training and manpower development and the administration and enactment of legislation with
      regard to thermal and hydro power generation, transmission and distribution. In all technical
      matters, the Ministry of Power is assisted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
            The construction and operation of generation and transmission projects in the Central Sector
      are entrusted to Central Sector Corporations, viz., the National Thermal Power Corporation
      (NTPC), the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), the North-Eastern Electric
      Power Corporation (NEEPCO), and the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL). The
      Power Grid is responsible for all the existing and future transmission projects in the central
      sector and also for the formation of the National Power Grid. Two joint-venture power
      corporations, namely, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) (formerly known as NJPC) and Tehri
      Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) are responsible for the execution of the Nathpa Jhakri
      Power Project in Himachal Pradesh and projects of Tehri Hydro Power Complex in Uttarakhand
      respectively. Three statutory bodies, i.e., the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), the Bhakra-
      Beas Management Board (BBMB) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), are also under the
      administrative control of the Ministry of Power. Programmes of rural electrification are provided
      financial assistance by the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC). The Power Finance
      Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) provide term-finance to projects
      in the power sector. The autonomous bodies (societies), namely Central Power Research Institute
      (CPRI) and the National Power Training Institute (NTPI) are also under the administrative
      control of the Ministry of Power. A Power Trading Corporation has also been incorporated
      primarily to support the Mega Power Projects in private sector by acting as a single entity to