<p><em><strong>How does a nation balance the demands of rapid&nbsp;economic growth with<br /> the urgent necessity of ecological&nbsp;survival and social equity?</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>PLANET AND PEOPLE is a compelling collection of analytical articles by Dr P.P. Sangal, former bureaucrat and public policy thinker, addressing India’s two most critical and interlinked challenges: Environment and Climate, and Poverty Alleviation. Drawing upon decades of administrative experience and deep analytical rigour, Dr Sangal moved beyond diagnosis to propose concrete, structural solutions rooted in policy realism.</p> <p><br /> The original articles examine a wide spectrum of issues—from climate change, air and noise pollution, renewable energy, and sustainable urbanisation to poverty measurement, rural distress, and social equity—often advocating the judicious use of market-based instruments alongside strong institutional frameworks. Written over nearly three decades, these articles capture both the evolution of India’s policy landscape and the global forces shaping it.</p> <p><br /> Characterised by foresight, clarity, and intellectual independence,&nbsp;<em>Planet and People</em> remains as relevant today as when these essays&nbsp;were first published. While India has travelled a considerable distance since then, changing global geopolitics and environmental stress have rendered many of these insights even more urgent.</p> <p><br /> Essential reading for policymakers, economists, students, and all thoughtful citizens, this volume offers a rare practitioner’s perspective on how sound policy, informed by evidence and ethical responsibility, can help build a smarter, more resilient Bharat.</p>

<p>A life lived with purpose and reflection is among a person’s greatest accomplishments.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dr Sangal was an eminent&nbsp;public policy analyst and a thinker on India’s most pressing socio-economic and environmental challenges. With a distinguished career in administration and policy with Central Government, he brought a uniquely pragmatic and evidence-based perspective to complex global issues that also confronted our country. Planet and People brings together his incisive writings, many of which appeared in leading business dailies such as The Economic Times, Hindu BusinessLine, and The Financial Express, reflecting his deep commitment to informed public discourse. His work was marked by rigorous analysis, offering not only critiques of existing systems—from fragmented poverty alleviation programmes to flawed urban transport policies—but also concrete, often unconventional, solutions. Dr Sangal advocated leveraging market mechanisms and pioneered ideas in areas such as solid waste management, environmental pollution, and noise pollution, while consistently championing comprehensive strategies for sustainable and inclusive development. This was in the era of the 1990s, when India was at the cusp of economic liberalisation, making the balancing of industrial development and environmental protection a concept ahead of its time.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This compendium of some of his articles is a testament to his lifelong mission to promote robust, well-reasoned, and ethically grounded policy-making. Through his thoughtful insights on climate change, renewable energy, and poverty alleviation, Dr Sangal continues to inspire readers—policymakers, industrialists, professionals, students, and citizens—to engage with the hard choices that define development.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>His vision remains relevant even today–</strong> <em>"a world where economic progress does not come at the cost of nature, and is inclusive in providing every individual an opportunity to live with dignity and hope."</em></p>