Address
on the eve of
Republic
Day- 2003
DEVELOPED
INDIA : VISION AND ACTIONS
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. Sea water 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.
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.,
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.
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.