Venkataraman advocates vigil against `veiled colonialism’

He also sharply criticised the nuclear non-proliferation regimes, saying these are meant for application to non-nuclear countriesonly.

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty does not envisage "control on production of nuclear arsenals by any of the nuclear member countries, but on all others… A lot of hue and cry was raised when India conducted nuclear tests in 1998," Venkataraman said.

He stated that between 1970, when the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) was signed, and 1990, every nuclear power expanded their arsenal.

Venkataraman said Indians, if provided a level ground for competition, would dominate all spheres of technological advancements, particularly in the spheres of computers and space.

Stressing the need for controlling the population explosion in the country, he said "this problem should be tackled first."

"Everyone should be educated on the need to control population growth," he added.

Venkataraman said though India’s per capita income was low due to high population, the quality of life here was much better than in many nations having higher per capita income. He suggested development of a "compositeeconomy" where technological advancement would go hand-in-hand with provision of employment to the growing fraternity of unemployed.

Comparing the situation before independence and now, the former president said the new age has "new problems, new challenges and new constraints" for which new solutions have to be found.