Context: The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued new security guidelines banning solar, wind and hybrid renewable energy projects within 1 km of the international border and mandating security clearance for such projects up to 50 km away. The guidelines also restrict hiring of personnel from Pakistan, Bangladesh and China and bar transfer of project land to foreign entities without government approval.
Amid a surge in applications for renewable energy projects in border areas, the MHA has introduced guidelines restricting such projects near the international border, Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC), citing national security concerns.
The guidelines reflect the intersection of energy infrastructure policy with internal and border security, relevant to GS3 topics on internal security challenges, border management, and the security implications of foreign investment in strategic sectors.
Border management in India; National Renewable Energy Policy; foreign direct investment in strategic sectors; Line of Control and Line of Actual Control; internal security architecture.
Test your understanding
Q1.As per the new MHA guidelines, renewable energy projects are completely banned within what distance of the international border?