) government of being in a "denial mode" on the issue, the minister contended he had focused on this in his first budget speech after the Congress came to power in 2004 and that he would again do so while presenting the budget for 2007-08 in February.
Terming the water issue as a "grave challenge", Chidambaram advocated tapping India's 7,000-km coastline for desalinating water, as also for recycling water and more efficient irrigation practices.
As for energy supplies, he contended that India would have to "depend on the world" till it made additional discoveries at home.
On the issue of globalisation, he did not foresee any "backlash", saying democracy was a "great benefit and weapon against protectionism.
On climate change, Chidambaram's contention was that "we don't contribute as much" as the developed world.
Supporting India's refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol, he compared the per capita consumptions of this country and the US to buttress his argument.
"The world should ask us to sign the protocol only when they give us access to resources like clean coal and uranium. Only then will we sign, which I cannot see happening before 2012," the minister maintained.
Speaking on the demographic issue, the minister described this as "an opportunity" as India's number of young people will continue to grow till 2040 and possibly 2050 before it begins to decline.
Then he added a rider: "We have to provide them adequate education to ensure they get meaningful work and contribute to India's economic growth."
Source-IANS
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