According to the Indian minister for non-conventional energy sources, Vilas Muttemwar, his ministry will in the coming years electrify 25,000 villages in remote areas with renewable energy sources. The government programme is part of a major rural electrification programme. Currently, around half of India’s 1.1 billion population has no access to modern electricity. India, however, is already leading in grid-connected wind farms being today number four worldwide with currently 5.500 MW installed. India is the only country worldwide with its own ministry for renewable energy.

Stefan Gsänger, secretary general of WWEA: “Today India belongs to the world leaders in grid-connected wind farm technology. With the new programme on rural electrification, India may also become a global leader in stand-alone and wind-hybrid systems. Worldwide around 2 billion people do not have access to modern energy services like electricity. Already today renewable energy can provide a de-centralised, affordable, clean and sustainable energy supply to those areas. The Indian example will set up a milestone for all those countries and world regions with un-served areas.”

A. Gopalakrishnan, former chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, argues against US uranium imports: “A very serious worry about nuclear power plants must be their safety. Having seen two major catastrophes in Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl, the world has to be wary of any large-scale expansion of nuclear power. Nuclear power being touted as ‘environmentally friendly’ is a commercial ploy of those who wish to sell reactors, and the veracity of this statement is highly questionable. Nuclear power plants remain very high technology installations, with very serious and long-lasting disastrous consequences to large segments of population if a serious accident occurs.” Viewed from a nuclear angle,

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