Only nuclear. solar power can meet India's needs: Kakodkar

Former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Dr Anil Kakodkar, talking in Gandhinagar

Only the nuclear and the solar power can meet the mammoth energy requirements of India, former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Dr Anil Kakodkar said here today.

"If India has to emerge as an economic power then per capita electricity production has to be brought on par with that in the advanced countries," he said.

"Today the scenario is such that compared to advanced countries we are 14-15 times behind. The average per capita electricity production in an industrially advanced nation is at around 10,000 units, whereas in India it is at around 800 units per person," Kakodkar said here speaking to reporters.

He was responding to a question about agitations against nuclear power plants in the country.

"At least we have to reach 5,000 units per person. And, if power has to be supplied on such a magnitude on sustainable basis then nuclear and solar are the only two sources to meet the requirement, no other source can do it," he said.

Dr Kakodkar was here to attend the second convocation at Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn), where the first graduating batch of M-Tech students was awarded degrees, besides 104 B-Tech students.

"Energy is also very important for any economic progress... We can't run industrial houses, if we don't have energy," he said.

The Planning Commission has set a target of adding over 88,000 MW of power generation capacity in the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-2017).

Earlier, in his convocation address, Kakodkar emphasised the need for high quality research.

"IITs have the challenge to usher in domestic technology- enabled national development and enhance the numbers of quality engineers and researchers to support nation-building," he said.