'Clean technologies can promote inclusive growth'

New Delhi, Dec 18: The Ideas India 2009 organised by Aspen Institute India from Dec 17 to 19, brought forth number of pertinent issues relating to Indo-US relations, gender equality and clean energy technologies.

The session 'Can Clean Energy Solve the Problem of Inclusive Growth in India?' discussed various ideas on how to develop and promote clean technologies, which could lead to sustainable and equitable growth.

Tarun Das, President, Aspen Institute India said that industry efforts must be multiplied in promoting the use of clean technologies, especially among the Small and Medium Enterprises.

Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman of the Board of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited, said that despite being among the lowest per capita emitters, India's emissions intensity is among the highest in the world, underscoring the scope for emissions reductions.

There was a broad consensus among the panelists at the session 'A New Chapter in Indo-US relations: Undoing the Past?'.

Panelists pointed out that the India and US need to further deepen their engagement in areas such as health, education and training, and infrastructure cooperation among others.

Another parallel session on gender issues 'Changing Gender Stereotypes: can Patriarchal Mindsets Change?' attempted to answer the question whether patriarchal mindset towards women was changing at a desired pace.

Some panelists felt that the patriarchal system of family dictating social mores, societal relations, familial interactions and professional relations have indeed been changing over the past several decades.

The changes have been seen in legal empowerment of women, larger participation of women in jobs, greater number of women becoming successful entrepreneurs, widening of their representation in public policy and forum, recent judgments, etc.

It was, however, pointed out that the journey to securing a society based on equality of men and women was still far from complete.

OneIndia News