Manmohan Singh © PIB 
Energy
Energy issues remain a prime concern for India. The government is focused on finding long term solutions to the energy problem plaguing its rural and urban areas equally today.
In a rational way to introduce the much-debated Indo-US nuclear deal in his speech, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talked of the limited reserves of oil and gas in the country and the need to find alternative energy sources. "I would like our scientists and engineers to find ways in which we can make better use of solar energy, wind energy, bio-gas and other sources of energy," he said.
Since an Independence Day speech is for the masses, Singh also pointed out why the Indian economy must grow at the rate of at least 10 per cent every year to get rid of poverty and to generate employment for all. "A basic requirement for sustained growth and for the development of our agriculture and industry is availability of energy, particularly electricity. All over the world, there is growing realization of the importance of atomic energy to meet the challenge of energy security and climate change. It is a clean, environmental friendly and renewable source of energy," he emphasized.
That India has world class atomic scientists and technologists who develop nuclear energy capacities despite heavy odds was of special mention. Singh said ceertain 'handicaps' were adversely affecting our atomic energy programme. "We have inadequate production of uranium. The quality of our uranium resources is not comparable to those of other producers," he said. Many countries had imposed sanctions on trade with India in nuclear materials, nuclear equipment and nuclear technology, Singh rued.
"As a result, our nuclear energy programme has suffered," he explained making a clear and bold case for the Indo-US deal, which almost toppled his government just last month.
"The nuclear agreement that we are negotiating with developed countries will end India’s nuclear isolation. It will open up new opportunities for trade in dual-use high technologies and nuclear materials and equipment, opening up new pathways to accelerate industrialization of our country," he said.
Education
The Prime Minsiter, who began his professional life as a teacher, repeated the announcement of new higher education projects earlier envisaged — 30 universities, eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), 20 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), five Indian Institutes of Science (IISc), two schools of planning and Architecture, 10 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and 1000 polytechnics.
To back this up at the primary level there will be 6000 new high quality model schools, with at least one school in each block and 373 new colleges in backward districts.
Climate change
Urging for long term solutions to face the impact of climate change, the Prime Minsiter said his government needed national consensus to evolve effective policies to deal with the issue.
He pointed out that if the Himalayan glaciers recede further as forecast, the flow of water into the country's rivers will go down, disrupting the national economy in several ways. "Some of our coastal areas could be submerged. Our monsoon pattern may change," he said.
Singh talked about the National Action Plan on Climate Change. The plan shows how every citizen must adapt his or her way of working and living and use natural resources wisely to limit carbon emissions. The announcement coincides with the government's bid to create the biggest ever climate change research networking in India where 75 institutes will come together to conduct scientific and economic studies steered by its ministry of environment and forests.
The results will form part of the national report to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The India Institute of Tropical Meteorology will play a key role in defining the scope and expanse of the studies. The project will focus primarily on the impact of climate change on the country — its water resources, agriculture, forests, health, energy and economy among a few variables. This promises to be the most comprehensive climate change research consortium ever constituted in India.
