‘Micro-Solar’ development as freedom: A grassroots initiative

Drawing on theoretical insights on the linkage between human empowerment and environmental protection, and between human development and technology, and centering around a pilot initiative recently rolled out in the Indian state of West Bengal, Professor Majumdar's  presentation will make four basic arguments:

• First, renewable energy such as solar electricity is best utilized when knowledge about it is accessible to all and its use is democratically decentralized.
• Second, training the youth in handling basic solar equipment and devices may promote goals of their skills formation and better employability in a situation of widespread youth unemployment, leading even to a kind of climate entrepreneurship on their part.
• Third, the youngsters so trained may also act as ‘barefoot’ technicians to power and empower public institutions such as preschool centres under the Integrated Child Development Scheme in India that are often resource and energy starved.
• Fourth, awareness about and adoption of solar energy use is a question of social and community mobilization at the grassroots where micro-foundations of macro-planning on environmental protection need to be built.

These claims prompt us to revert back to the larger question of ‘research for action’ that conjoins the idea of human development with quotidian climate action.