Following is the
text of President Sh. A. P. J. Abul Kalam’s address to the Nation
on the eve of Republic Day 2003:
"Mere pyare
Bharatvasiyon, mera namaskar.
On the eve of the
54th Republic Day of India I greet all the billion
people of our country living in India and abroad. I also greet
the members of the armed forces and paramilitary forces who guard
our frontiers on the land, the sea and the air.
Meeting the People
During the past six
months I visited 17 states. I had the opportunity to interact
with a very large cross section of people, majority of them were
young. I also had occasion to visit a large number of rural and
drought affected areas and I could share the concerns, grief and
also aspirations of the people living there. I also met a number
of leaders, spiritual personalities, artistes, craftspeople, grass-root
innovators and social workers among others.
I am happy to
share with you that I have already met and interacted with more
than a hundred thousand children. I was asking myself what I gained
out of these interactions. In spite of flood, drought, drinking
water scarcity, poverty and societal instability in few places,
everywhere I could see the unabated enthusiasm of the young for
learning. Learning should bring out the spirit of creativity in
the young minds. Creativity gives knowledge. Knowledge is indeed
an asset for the nation. I recall a question raised by a Nagaland
student when I visited Tuensang, "Mr. President, I want to
live in an India which is prosperous, happy and safe. Tell us
how we will be guided to such an India? How can I contribute for
achieving this?" Such questions from young minds made me
feel proud as an Indian as they are thinking about their future
and that of the country, where they are living now and where they
will work in the future. They are ready to contribute their mite
in the journey of transformation of our country to a ‘developed’
nation. It is, therefore, essential to evolve action-plans to
guide, motivate and effectively utilize the power of the younger
generation to progress in all our endeavors.
PROGRESS
Science and Technology
On my recent visits
to research laboratories, I could see our young scientists ceaselessly
working in bio-technology and other emerging fields of bio-medical
engineering to unearth the mysteries of human creation and the
characteristics embedded in the DNA structure for providing better
healthcare to humanity. That filled my mind with hope and re-assurance
that such research will ensure that we will be part of the human
endeavor to provide quality health care, diagnosis and treatment.
Our space missions
have demonstrated the high calibre scientific and technological
inputs in transforming research to applications resulting in benefit
to our country. My felicitations to our space scientists and their
partner institutions and industries for achieving a series of
successful launches and orbiting satellites for various applications.
I am sure our scientists and technicians will march ahead in delivering
higher pay load in the orbit for the given take-off weight with
cost effective solutions for applications like solar energy exploitation.
Our defence scientists
have proved themselves again by realizing powerful systems for
strategic applications. Also we have force-multiplied our defence
systems with electronic warfare capabilities, radars, under water
sensors and weapons. Our nuclear scientists are currently constructing
eight nuclear power reactors, the highest number of units that
are being constructed anywhere in the world this year. Seawater
desalination plant at Kalpakkam has also commenced operation.
Natural resources
and human resources are our core competencies. Particularly, the
rich bio-diversity is the wealth of our nation. Herbal research
has to lead from molecule to drug. Integrated efforts on mission
mode have to be further strengthened by academia, R&D labs
and industries so that cost effective medicines are available
to the people and the export potential is also increased. Trained
cadre of human resource has to be created for reinforcing employment
potential and thereby spurring economic growth. In this context,
I am happy to know that a major mission has been launched for
cultivation of bamboo and increasing products made from bamboo.
I was recently in
Kolkata interacting with 9000 children at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.
One boy suffering from visual impairment asked me, "Sir,
what kind of education facilities are provided in the Knowledge
Society, for visually handicapped children like me?" There
are many like him. Let me share one thought with you. I had met
many physically and mentally challenged children at Rashtrapati
Bhavan and also during my visits to various States. My belief
all along was reconfirmed that these children like all others
have an equal urge to pursue their studies and work. We have to
provide solutions to their problems with the aid of Information
Technology, by developing audio books, talking websites, voice
assistive interfaces and other devices. Public buildings and educational
institutions need to provide friendly facilities that offer easy
access and reach.
Recently, I had an
occasion to meet a group of people from International AIDS Vaccine
Initiative (IAVI) along with several Indian teams who are working
on the development of HIV/AIDS vaccine. This programme is very
vital for the nation for preventing HIV cases in future. This
challenge needs an accelerated and time bound action.
Our people have started
seeing the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies.
Reaching the target of nearly 10 billion dollars in exporting
software development has increased the opportunity for our youngsters.
The economic slow down in the West and events like September 11,
have not affected our industry drastically. India has also responded
well to the wireless revolution and today we see the cell phone
penetration on a steady increase – a sign of good economic growth.
The convergence of ICT, nano technology and biological sciences
is in the horizon. India is even better placed to exploit this
revolution than any other nation.
Elections
India, as the largest
democratic country can really be proud of the conduct of free
and fair elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat. I compliment
the exemplary performance of the Election Commission and the Central
and State Government machineries. The media, the political parties
and independent groups have also contributed to this process in
spite of the passions of competitive politics. The people of Jammu
and Kashmir have to be particularly congratulated for the immense
courage they showed in upholding the democratic traditions in
spite of cross border terrorism. People of our country have shown
to the world that democratic traditions are deep rooted in our
civilization and that is our strength. In fact all of us on this
day should pledge ourselves to build upon this unique heritage.
Parliament and
Vision of Developed India
It was indeed
a tribute to our democratic parliamentary system that it has done
exceptionally well in the 11th session of the 13th
Lok Sabha. During that session, both Houses of the Parliament
passed 42 Bills and I have accorded assent to 40 Bills that were
sent to me so far. The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act,
2002 passed by the Parliament, which makes free and compulsory
education for children between the age group of 6 to 14 years
as a fundamental right is particularly praiseworthy. I trust this
tradition will continue and all our Members of Parliament will
continue to excel themselves for the cause of national development.
Our Prime Minister,
in his Independence Day address on 15th August 2002,
announced that India would become a ‘developed’ nation by 2020.
The National Development Council has since approved the 10th
Five Year Plan with economic growth rate of 8%. It is equally
gratifying that a task team has been formed by the Government
for networking of rivers to transfer water from our surplus basins
to areas of deficit. Considerable care, I am sure, will be taken
about the environment and people related issues.
I am also sure
that our Parliament, which is celebrating its Golden Jubilee,
will discuss and evolve action plans for our vision of transforming
India into a ‘developed’ nation by 2020.
Knowledge Society
During the last century,
the world underwent a change from agriculture society, where manual
labour was the critical factor, to industrial society where the
management of technology, capital and labour provided the competitive
advantage. Then the information era was born, where connectivity
and software products drove a part of the economy of a few nations
including our country. In the 21st century, a new society is emerging
where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of
capital and labour. Efficient utilisation of this existing knowledge
can create comprehensive wealth for the nations and also improve
the quality of life - in the form of better health, education,
infrastructure and other social indicators. Ability to create
and maintain the knowledge infrastructure, develop knowledge workers
and enhance their productivity through creation, growth and exploitation
of new knowledge will be the key factors in deciding the prosperity
of this Knowledge Society. Whether a nation has arrived at the
state of knowledge society is judged by the way the country effectively
deals with knowledge creation and knowledge deployment in all
sectors like IT, Industries, Agriculture, Health Care etc.,
Second Green Revolution
It is the right time
for India to embark upon the Second Green Revolution, which will
enable it to increase its productivity in the agricultural sector.
The production of cereals needs to increase from the present 200
million tonnes to over 300 million tonnes by 2020 in view of population
growth. But the requirement of land for the increasing population
as well as for greater afforestation and environmental preservation
activities would demand that the present 170 million hectares
of arable land will have to be brought down to 100 million hectares
by 2020. All our agricultural scientists and technologists have
to work for doubling the productivity of the available land with
lesser area being available for cultivation. The type of technologies
needed would be in the areas of biotechnology, proper training
to the farmers, additional modern equipments for preservation
and storage etc. The second green revolution is indeed graduating
from grain production to food processing and marketing as visualised
by the late Shri. C.Subramaniam. While doing so, utmost care should
be taken for various environmental and people related aspects
leading to sustainable development.
Knowledge Powered
PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas)
More than two thirds
of our billion population live in the rural parts of India. The
vision of transformation to a ‘developed’ India can only be realized
if we launch a mega mission for empowering the rural people. My
visits to the rural parts of India have confirmed that the problem
of rural India depends on the extent of connectivity available
there. The connectivity that I refer to, would include four components.
Physical connectivity by providing roads in rural areas,
electronic connectivity by providing reliable communication
network and knowledge connectivity by establishing more
professional institutions and vocational training centers. Schools
with best infrastructure and teachers who love teaching, primary
health centres, silos for storage of products and markets for
promoting cottage industries and business, employment opportunities
for artisans are some of the elements of PURA. All this connectivity
needs to be done in an integrated way so that economic connectivity
will emerge leading to self-actuating people and economy.
Such Model of establishing a circular connectivity among the rural
village complexes will accelerate rural development process by
empowerment. I am sure that removal of poverty will call for Providing
Urban amenities in Rural Areas (PURA). The model envisaged is
a habitat design that would improve the quality of life in rural
places and make special suggestions to remove urban congestion
also. Instead of village population coming to urban area, the
reverse phenomenon has to take place.
The PURA has to be
a business proposition economically viable and managed by entrepreneurs
and local people and small-scale industrialists, as it involves
education, health, power generation, transport and management.
Government’s support should be in the form of empowering such
management agencies, providing initial economic support and finding
the right type of management structure and leaders to manage and
maintain.
Towards IT Enabled
Administration
What type of scenario
will be there in India in the coming decades? As we are crossing
the information society and leading to knowledge society, irrespective
of rural or urban area, distance will be shortened using information
technology. In such a situation an electronic connectivity should
emerge between the various State and Central Government Departments
for fully committed transparent administration. A networked database
with real time updated data exchange will ensure speedy service
to the people under one roof for all their government/non-government
service requirement. Transparency will have to emerge in governance.
Wherever I have been,
I have seen that people definitely want to live in a prosperous
India. In the rural area when I visited primary schools, they
wanted high schools, when I visited High Schools they wanted Colleges,
when I visited Colleges they wanted Professional Colleges. The
right type of higher education has become an essentiality from
both the students’ and parents’ points of view. However, scarcity
of good teachers is visible everywhere. Good teaching and interactive
teaching are possible through tele-education and inspired teachers.
Healthcare facilities for rural and remote villages can be provided
by Mobile Clinics. This is one example of extending the available
limited facilities to more and more rural people. Both the centre
and the state governments should encourage such mobile diagnostic
and treatment clinics in rural areas on priority.
Conclusion
Dear citizens, I
would like to conclude with a mission statement: India can
become a developed nation only if everyone contributes to the
best of his or her ability and capacity. The mission is: In
transforming India into a developed nation by 2020, what can be
the role of every citizen in addition to the governmental initiatives
of launching programs for the vision of developed India. I have
already explained that there has to be integrated development
programmes with empowered management structure. In addition, I
would like to suggest various missions for our people. For example,
the student community can take up the task, during holidays to
make a certain number of people literate in their area where their
schools or houses are situated. Only a burning candle can light
another. Teachers and parents can assist them in this task. The
Government and R&D labs can provide technological upgradation
to our small-scale industries so that production can be increased
and be competitive. The youth would need to aspire for entrepreneurship
rather than conventional employment. Large-scale industries have
to increase their contribution to economic growth, particularly
growth of GDP. Here, industries can concentrate on maximum output
and cost effective products, so that demand will increase. They
can aim at becoming multinational companies, for e.g. in the areas
of sugar and agricultural products, power, cement, manufacturing
and knowledge products institutions. The farming community, with
advanced water conservation and management methods, has to increase
their productivity. The Information Technology and knowledge workers
have got a tremendous responsibility to contribute in the areas
of tele-medicine, tele-education and e-governance for rural areas
apart from their business role. In this vision period, the whole
Government agency has to build a name for itself, by fast decision-making
and transparent administration. Media should become a partner
and promoter critic in national development. This type of dynamic
environment with motivation will indeed be a great foundation
for our vision of transforming India into a ‘developed’ nation
by 2020.
May God bless
you."
