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Union Minister Jitendra Singh said India is steadily moving towards a diversified and self-reliant energy mix, with nuclear power expected to play a key role in the country's long-term energy strategy.
Singh said the government had already initiated work under Mission Nuclear Energy before the recent global crisis in West Asia, adding that India's target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 would account for about 10-11 per cent of total electricity needs. He said the remaining energy demand would largely be met through renewable sources, which are expected to contribute around 70-75 per cent. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Singh said, "The crisis has come now, but Prime Minister Modi had already started working in this direction. When Mission Nuclear Energy was launched, there was no West Asia crisis. Even when the 100 GW nuclear energy target was set by 2047... When we reach 2047 and reach 100 gigawatts, approximately 10 to 11% of our overall electricity requirement will be from nuclear energy." He further highlighted India's push towards emerging energy sources such as ocean energy and tidal power, along with efforts to reduce dependence on imported fuel and move towards the goal of net zero emissions by 2070. "70 to 75% will be from renewable sources. We are also moving towards ocean energy, exploring how to install solar panels on the sea and how to generate electricity from tides. The Prime Minister has set a target of net zero by 2070. If we are to achieve self-reliance in fuel, we will have to reduce petrol imports and reduce our dependence on imports," he further added. Singh also spoke about India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, saying the programme is progressing steadily and key test flights are underway, including a final rehearsal mission featuring the female humanoid robot Vyommitra. He said that once the test phases are completed, India will aim to conduct a final rehearsal by the end of this year and expressed optimism that the mission could pave the way for sending an Indian astronaut into space next year as part of the Gaganyaan programme. "The most exciting thing will be Gaganyaan, because it deviated slightly from its timeline... When one timeline is missed, another timeline cannot be created on its own. It depends on the configuration of the planets. We have our test flights... Once our test flights are complete, we will make a big effort to launch one final test rehearsal before the end of this year, which will include one female robot, Vyommitra and will perform the entire task like a human... I think next year, as part of Gaganyaan, we will also be able to send an Indian human to space," Singh further added. (ANI)
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