NEWS
2016.10.13
On Thursday, October 13, 2016, the Center for Glocal Studies held a public lecture titled “India’s Energy Policy Options,” which was delivered by guest speaker Kumar Sundaram, a senior researcher of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP). The lecture, which was held in the large conference room (Floor 3, Building 3), formed part of the university’s branding project.
Following is an outline of Mr. Sundaram’s lecture.
<synopsis>
India embarked on an ambitious nuclear program fairly soon after its independence, becoming one of the earliest countries in Asia to join the nuclear arms race in the 1970s. Nuclear and other advanced technologies have been regarded as central to post-colonial India’s future, and the atomic establishment has enjoyed near-complete political consensus, state patronage, and popular support. Turning the geopolitical situation, its huge consumer market, and the weaknesses of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to its advantage, India has achieved legitimacy for its nuclear weapons and received nuclear technology from major foreign suppliers.
Under these circumstances, renewable energy technologies have rapidly advanced and become more efficient. These could provide better options for the rural communities that still make up the majority of India’s population. This talk will discuss these crucial choices, as well as Japan’s potential to play either a positive or negative role in India’s future.