Page 22 - NIS English 01-15 September, 2026

th Independence
Day Celebrations
COVER STORY

Energy Security: From Nuclear Power

To the Solar Revolution

Calling energy security the need of the hour, PM Modi reiterated India’s achievements and
future resolve in nuclear, solar, gas and hydrogen energy...

n As we move towards the technologies of the future, n Before 2014, piped gas reached barely 20–22 lakh
the importance of energy continues to grow; it is households; today, work is underway to provide
now difficult to run the new world without energy. piped gas to nearly 1.75 crore households.
n Whether it is chips, AI or data centres, we will need n Twelve years ago, solar energy capacity was just 2
electricity in very large quantities. We have already gigawatts; today we have achieved a capacity of 160
taken a series of strong steps in this direction. gigawatts.
n By passing the SHANTI Act in Parliament, we have n PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana crosses 50 lakh
paved the way towards a target of 100 gigawatts of homes; thousands now have zero electricity bills
nuclear power by 2047. and earn by selling surplus power, with ₹80,000
n Within this decade, we have set a target of starting assistance per family.
five new nuclear reactors. This year, Bharat mastered n Railway electrification stood at 30% over 90 years;
fast breeder nuclear technology. we achieved 70% completing it fully in just 10 years.
n We have now opened up No-Go coastal area Area as That is what real work looks like.
a Go-Ahead Area, and decided to allocate ₹85,000 n The country has started its first hydrogen-powered
crore for Samudra Manthan to accelerate the work. train, the longest and most powerful of its kind, and
n Before 2014, only 70 cities had piped gas Bharat has made its mark in the field of hydrogen-
infrastructure. We have taken these to 700 cities. powered trains in the world.

“The world is witnessing
the resolve with which we
have embarked on this
journey, and it is looking
to us with hope. It has
begun to see where the
capability to fulfill these
aspirations truly lies.”

(Excerpt of the speech from the ramparts of the
Red Fort on Independence Day 2022)

20 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || Sep 01-15, 2026 Picture from Independence Day 2022