World facing three major challenges: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said climate change, nations distinguishing between good and bad terrorism and nations becoming self-centered are the three major challenges that the world is facing today.

While delivering a keynote address at the opening session of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos, Prime Minister Modi said, "Climate change is a huge threat right now, Snow in the Arctic is melting, many islands are sinking or are about to sink."

"Extreme cold, hot, floods, drought- the effect of extreme weather is increasing day by day. Everybody says that carbon emission should be reduced, but how many people and countries are there who are ready to help developing countries and societies to get useful technology?" Prime Minister Modi asked.

He also outlined the efforts India is making to tackle the menace of climate change.

"My government has put a very big goal before Indians to protect the environment and to fight climate change- we have set a target to produce 175GW of renewable energy by 2022. We have achieved one-third of this goal in the last three years by producing 60 GW renewable energy," Prime Minister Modi said.

Raising the issue of terrorism, he termed it to be a big threat and "even a bigger threat if one draws the distinction between 'good' terrorism and 'bad' terrorism."

"Terrorism is dangerous. It is painful to see some youngsters getting radicalised," he added.

The Prime Minister said that globalisation is at stake as the nations are becoming self-centred.

"The third challenge is that many nations and countries are becoming more self-centred. It seems that the globalisation is shrinking opposite to its name," he said.

He pointed out that such mentality and priority are in no way less dangerous than the threats of climate change and terrorism.