Developed India: Visions And Actions

On the eve of the 54th Republic Day of India I greet all the billion people of our country living in Indiaand abroad. I also greet the members of the armed forces and paramilitary forces who guard our frontiers onthe 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 crosssection of people, majority of them were young. I also had occasion to visit a large number of rural anddrought 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 andsocial workers among others.

I am happy to share with you that I have already met and interacted with more than a hundred thousandchildren. I was asking myself what I gained out of these interactions. In spite of flood, drought, drinkingwater scarcity, poverty and societal instability in few places, everywhere I could see the unabated enthusiasmof the young for learning. Learning should bring out the spirit of creativity in the young minds. Creativitygives knowledge. Knowledge is indeed an asset for the nation. I recall a question raised by a Nagaland studentwhen 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 questionsfrom young minds made me feel proud as an Indian as they are thinking about their future and that of thecountry, where they are living now and where they will work in the future. They are ready to contribute theirmite in the journey of transformation of our country to a 'developed' nation. It is, therefore, essential toevolve action-plans to guide, motivate and effectively utilize the power of the younger generation to progressin all our endeavors.

PROGRESS

Science and Technology

On my recent visits to research laboratories, I could see our young scientists ceaselessly working inbio-technology and other emerging fields of bio-medical engineering to unearth the mysteries of human creationand the characteristics embedded in the DNA structure for providing better healthcare to humanity. That filledmy mind with hope and re-assurance that such research will ensure that we will be part of the human endeavorto provide quality health care, diagnosis and treatment.

Our space missions have demonstrated the high calibre scientific and technological inputs in transformingresearch to applications resulting in benefit to our country. My felicitations to our space scientists andtheir partner institutions and industries for achieving a series of successful launches and orbitingsatellites for various applications. I am sure our scientists and technicians will march ahead in deliveringhigher pay load in the orbit for the given take-off weight with cost effective solutions for applications likesolar energy exploitation.

Our defence scientists have proved themselves again by realizing powerful systems for strategicapplications. 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 powerreactors, the highest number of units that are being constructed anywhere in the world this year. Sea waterdesalination plant at Kalpakkam has also commenced operation.

Natural resources and human resources are our core competencies. Particularly, the rich bio-diversity isthe wealth of our nation. Herbal research has to lead from molecule to drug. Integrated efforts on missionmode have to be further strengthened by academia, R&D labs and industries so that cost effective medicinesare available to the people and the export potential is also increased. Trained cadre of human resource has tobe created for reinforcing employment potential and thereby spurring economic growth. In this context, I amhappy to know that a major mission has been launched for cultivation of bamboo and increasing products madefrom bamboo.

I was recently in Kolkata interacting with 9000 children at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. One boy sufferingfrom visual impairment asked me, "Sir, what kind of education facilities are provided in the KnowledgeSociety, for visually handicapped children like me?" There are many like him. Let me share one thoughtwith you. I had met many physically and mentally challenged children at Rashtrapati Bhavan and also during myvisits to various States. My belief all along was reconfirmed that these children like all others have anequal urge to pursue their studies and work. We have to provide solutions to their problems with the aid ofInformation Technology, by developing audio books, talking websites, voice assistive interfaces and otherdevices. Public buildings and educational institutions need to provide friendly facilities that offer easyaccess 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 veryvital for the nation for preventing HIV cases in future. This challenge needs an accelerated and time boundaction.

Our people have started seeing the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies. Reaching thetarget of nearly 10 billion dollars in exporting software development has increased the opportunity for ouryoungsters. The economic slow down in the West and events like September 11, have not affected our industrydrastically. India has also responded well to the wireless revolution and today we see the cell phonepenetration on a steady increase - a sign of good economic growth. The convergence of ICT, nano technology andbiological sciences is in the horizon. India is even better placed to exploit this revolution than any othernation.

Elections

India, as the largest democratic country can really be proud of the conduct of free and fair elections inJammu & Kashmir and Gujarat. I compliment the exemplary performance of the Election Commission and theCentral and State Government machineries. The media, the political parties and independent groups have alsocontributed to this process in spite of the passions of competitive politics. The people of Jammu and Kashmirhave to be particularly congratulated for the immense courage they showed in upholding the democratictraditions in spite of cross border terrorism. People of our country have shown to the world that democratictraditions are deep rooted in our civilization and that is our strength. In fact all of us on this day shouldpledge 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 the11th session of the 13th Lok Sabha. During that session, both Houses of the Parliament passed 42 Bills and Ihave 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 of6 to 14 years as a fundamental right is particularly praiseworthy. I trust this tradition will continue andall 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 becomea 'developed' nation by 2020. The National Development Council has since approved the 10th Five Year Plan witheconomic growth rate of 8%. It is equally gratifying that a task team has been formed by the Government fornetworking of rivers to transfer water from our surplus basins to areas of deficit. Considerable care, I amsure, 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 actionplans 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 thecritical factor, to industrial society where the management of technology, capital and labour provided thecompetitive advantage. Then the information era was born, where connectivity and software products drove apart of the economy of a few nations including our country. In the 21st century, a new society is emergingwhere knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. Efficient utilisation ofthis 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 andmaintain the knowledge infrastructure, develop knowledge workers and enhance their productivity throughcreation, growth and exploitation of new knowledge will be the key factors in deciding the prosperity of thisKnowledge Society. Whether a nation has arrived at the state of knowledge society is judged by the way thecountry 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 increaseits productivity in the agricultural sector. The production of cereals needs to increase from the present 200million tonnes to over 300 million tonnes by 2020 in view of population growth. But the requirement of landfor the increasing population as well as for greater afforestation and environmental preservation activitieswould demand that the present 170 million hectares of arable land will have to be brought down to 100 millionhectares by 2020. All our agricultural scientists and technologists have to work for doubling the productivityof the available land with lesser area being available for cultivation. The type of technologies needed wouldbe in the areas of biotechnology, proper training to the farmers, additional modern equipments forpreservation and storage etc. The second green revolution is indeed graduating from grain production to foodprocessing and marketing as visualised by the late Shri. C.Subramaniam. While doing so, utmost care should betaken for various environmental and people related aspects leading to sustainable development. KnowledgePowered PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas)

More than two thirds of our billion population live in the rural parts of India. The vision oftransformation to a 'developed' India can only be realized if we launch a mega mission for empowering therural people. My visits to the rural parts of India have confirmed that the problem of rural India depends onthe 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 reliablecommunication network and knowledge connectivity by establishing more professional institutions and vocationaltraining 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, employmentopportunities for artisans are some of the elements of PURA. All this connectivity needs to be done in anintegrated way so that economic connectivity will emerge leading to self actuating people and economy. SuchModel of establishing a circular connectivity among the rural village complexes will accelerate ruraldevelopment process by empowerment. I am sure that removal of poverty will call for Providing Urban amenitiesin Rural Areas (PURA). The model envisaged is a habitat design that would improve the quality of life in ruralplaces and make special suggestions to remove urban congestion also. Instead of village population coming tourban area, the reverse phenomenon has to take place.

The PURA has to be a business proposition economically viable and managed by entrepreneurs and local peopleand 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 economicsupport 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 informationsociety and leading to knowledge society, irrespective of rural or urban area, distance will be shortenedusing information technology. In such a situation an electronic connectivity should emerge between the variousState and Central Government Departments for fully committed transparent administration. A networked databasewith real time updated data exchange will ensure speedy service to the people under one roof for all theirgovernment/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 ruralarea when I visited primary schools, they wanted high schools, when I visited High Schools they wantedColleges, when I visited Colleges they wanted Professional Colleges. The right type of higher education hasbecome an essentiality from both the students' and parents' points of view. However, scarcity of good teachersis visible everywhere. Good teaching and interactive teaching are possible through tele-education and inspiredteachers. Healthcare facilities for rural and remote villages can be provided by Mobile Clinics. This is oneexample of extending the available limited facilities to more and more rural people. Both the centre and thestate 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 onlyif everyone contributes to the best of his or her ability and capacity. The mission is: In transforming Indiainto a developed nation by 2020, what can be the role of every citizen in addition to the governmentalinitiatives of launching programs for the vision of developed India. I have already explained that there hasto be integrated development programmes with empowered management structure. In addition, I would like tosuggest various missions for our people. For example, the student community can take up the task, duringholidays 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 andR&D labs can provide technological upgradation to our small-scale industries so that production can beincreased and be competitive. The youth would need to aspire for entrepreneurship rather than conventionalemployment. Large-scale industries have to increase their contribution to economic growth, particularly growthof GDP. Here, industries can concentrate on maximum output and cost effective products, so that demand willincrease. They can aim at becoming multinational companies, for e.g. in the areas of sugar and agriculturalproducts, power, cement, manufacturing and knowledge products institutions. The farming community, withadvanced water conservation and management methods, has to increase their productivity. The InformationTechnology 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, thewhole Government agency has to build a name for itself, by fast decision making and transparentadministration. Media should become a partner and promoter critic in national development. This type ofdynamic environment with motivation will indeed be a great foundation for our vision of transforming Indiainto a 'developed' nation by 2020.

May God bless you.