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NT Bureau
Chidambaram, Jan 5:
 

Annamalai University Pro-Chancellor Dr M A M Ramaswamy presenting a memento to President Dr Abdul Kalam at the Science Congress in Chidambaram today.

        Driving scientific minds into a more focussed journey, President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam today said the scientific community should search for solutions to typical Indian problems which would help improve the quality of life of Indians.

        In his address to the 94th Indian Science Congress here, Kalam said such solutions to India specific problems would also help the humanity as a whole. Research and solutions should happen in a time bound manner.

        Kalam said there is a need for focused action plan to realise the benefits of increased budgetary allocation for science and technology. A joint team of members from all scientific departments of the government should work out the growth plan for research, science education programme, training and others in an integrated way for the five year period. A document indicating specific milestones to be achieved within a specific time frame should be in place.

        Speaking on making earth free from carbon dioxide contamination and reducing damage to ozone layer and finding an economic solution to energy production, the president said the power generating capacity has to increase to 400,000 MW by 2030 from the current hundred thirty thousand MW.

        The India partnered US Future Gen project, an initiative to create the first zero emission fossil fuel plant would be the cleanest fossil fuel plant in the world. Application of this technology and establishment of new plants with a capacity of over 56,000 MW before 2030 was important.

        This technology would be useful in modernising the current coal based power plants generating power to the extent of 80,000 MW.

        An important need for achieving energy independence by 2030 is to increase the power generated through renewable energy sources from the existing 5 to 25 per cent. Energy produced through solar has to be increased substantially.

        To reduce import of crude oil, foucs should be on work to produce Ethanol and bio-diesel in a cost effective manner which can be blended to the extent of 30 to 40 per cent with petrol and diesel. Focus should also be on working on developing other energy sources like hydrogen which is pollution free. Experts from agriculture and combustion should converge to produce the 'most fuel efficient engines' that can run with 100 per cent bio diesel or ethanol produced from Jatropha plantation or sugarcane.

        Only after establishing enough fast reactor capacity, shifting to thorium based systems is possible and we also could continue to get power from thorium reactors.

        Kalam also spoke on wind energy research, minimising impact of coal based plants on environment and convergence of technologies.

        Inaugurating the Children's Science Congress 2007 here, organised as part of 94th Indian Science Congress, Kalam science and technology would be a key tool in the transformation of India into a developed country before 2020.

        The President urged the 300 million youth of the nation to develop curiosity to learn more and more with determination, perseverance and courage to invent new phenomena in science and technology leading to 'path breaking discoveries for finding solutions to India's problems'.