The transportation sector of the world is in the transformation stage, shifting from conventional fossil fuel-powered vehicles to zero or ultra-low tailpipe emission vehicles. To support this transformation, a proper charging station (CS) infrastructure in combination with information technology, smart distributed energy generating units, and favorable government policies are required. The motive of this paper is to address the key aspects to be taken care of while planning for the charging station infrastructure for electric vehicles. The paper also provides major indagation and developments in planning and technological aspects that are going on for the enhancement of the design and efficient management of charging station infrastructure. The paper addresses the present scenario of India related to electric vehicle charging station developments. The paper specially provides a critical review on the research and developments in the charging station infrastructure, the problems associated with it, and the efforts that are going on for its standardization to help the researchers address the problems.

The Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the year 2020 has become a curse for mankind and their livelihood, and India has not been exempted from it. India currently (August 2020) is among the top five countries in terms of the number of cases and is being reported on a daily basis. This also stems due to India having the world’s second-largest population. The country is being largely run by the informal sector, which has brought the economic sector to a standstill. Essential service sectors such as pharmaceutical, food industry, and logistics are up and running. However, these barely contribute to the country’s economy but have replenished the environment. This manuscript analyzes the environmental effects of enforced lockdown in India on air quality, water quality, and noise levels. In comparison to 2019, levels, air quality, and water quality show positive trends with a reduction in the concentration of major pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), and carbon monoxide (CO). Parts of the India have witnessed up to 44% reduction in the Air Quality Index. Dissolved oxygen (DO) has increased and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) has decreased in most of the rivers in the country, enhancing the water quality. The noise levels in different parts of the country have declined during this lockdown period. However, the stockpiling of COVID-19 related biomedical waste and lack of proper handling has raised concerns over the spread of the disease. Thus, the study shows that the nature itself is capable enough to reduce the environmental pollution within a span of months.