The Buck Stops Here

On The Buck Stops Here, we look at whether India can embrace electric vehicles as a practical solution to our air pollution woes. Actor Gul Panag, a huge advocate of electric cars, speaks to us on whether it is practical, safe and cheap.

In just five years, urban India will undergo a "miraculous" transformation following a transition to clean fuels and electric vehicles, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. In an interview to NDTV, Mr Gadkari, the Road Transport minister, was clear: "Our country will convert into bio fuel, electric, ethanol, methanol, bio-diesel and bio-CNG and import will be less and it will be a cost effective, import substitute, pollution-free, indigenous, Made in India, Make in India, dream of Prime Minister -- 100 per cent going to fulfill."

With the pollution crisis in Delhi becoming an annual feature, the government has now announced a drastic plan to help clean up the air in the National Capital Region. Bharat Stage-VI fuel, equivalent to Euro-6 standards, will now be introduced in Delhi by 2018 and NCR by 2019. Will this really help in the clean up of the national capital? Are our oil companies ready to spend tens of thousands of crores to upgrade their fuel facilities? We debate on The Buck Stops Here.

With the pollution crisis in Delhi becoming an annual feature, the government has now announced a drastic plan to help clean up the air in the National Capital Region. Bharat Stage-VI fuel, equivalent to Euro-6 standards, will now be introduced in Delhi by 2018 and NCR by 2019. Will this really help in the clean up of the national capital? Are our oil companies ready to spend tens of thousands of crores to upgrade their fuel facilities? We debate on The Buck Stops Here.

Has the public exchequer faced an "insurmountable loss" in signing a deal to procure 36 Rafale aircraft from France for 58,000 crore? This is the allegation made by the Congress party which the government has rubbished. The war of words between the government and the Congress continued today with the Air Chief, someone who doesn't frequently speak to the media, saying there was no controversy and the deal was the best one India could get.

Has the public exchequer faced an "insurmountable loss" in signing a deal to procure 36 Rafale aircraft from France for 58,000 crore? This is the allegation made by the Congress party which the government has rubbished. The war of words between the government and the Congress continued today with the Air Chief, someone who doesn't frequently speak to the media, saying there was no controversy and the deal was the best one India could get.

A new survey published by the journal The Lancet reinforces what many had believed for a long time -- that air pollution is already having a serious impact for generations of Indians. The polluted air that millions breathe today is affecting their lifespan and quality of life. The Lancet report says pollution is India's second-biggest health hazard. In another study, and it's important to stress that the reports are not linked, an experienced doctor tells us that there is evidence that Indian children show lower lung growth than Caucasian children. It's all the same in terms of the size of the lung till the age of about 8, after which there is a change. By the time Indian children are adults, the lung size in both Indian men and women is about 10 per cent smaller. On The Buck Stops Here, we look at these two studies and ask our leaders whether they would act now.

A new survey published by the journal The Lancet reinforces what many had believed for a long time -- that air pollution is already having a serious impact for generations of Indians. The polluted air that millions breathe today is affecting their lifespan and quality of life. The Lancet report says pollution is India's second-biggest health hazard. In another study, and it's important to stress that the reports are not linked, an experienced doctor tells us that there is evidence that Indian children show lower lung growth than Caucasian children. It's all the same in terms of the size of the lung till the age of about 8, after which there is a change. By the time Indian children are adults, the lung size in both Indian men and women is about 10 per cent smaller. On The Buck Stops Here, we look at these two studies and ask our leaders whether they would act now.

On this special episode of The Buck Stops Here, we visit All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Fortis Escorts Hospital in Delhi to understand how bad the pollution situation is, how it is affecting people's health and what are the long-term effects of breathing toxic air.

On this special episode of The Buck Stops Here, we visit All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Fortis Escorts Hospital in Delhi to understand how bad the pollution situation is, how it is affecting people's health and what are the long-term effects of breathing toxic air.