Address at the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Bihar Industries Associations

Evolution of Vision for DEVELOPED BIHAR

I am indeed delighted to participate in the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Bihar Industries Association jointly organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry. My greetings to all those present here and to the organizers of the event.

Ancient Glory of Bihar

No discussion on Bihar can begin without recounting the glorious legacy of the State. The ancient civilisational heritage of India was nurtured into maturity in the lap of the fertile Gangetic plains of present day Bihar. Leafing through the pages of antiquity, we find that Bihar enjoys a place more prominent than most parts of this country. Bihar and its citizenry have done us proud by being the leaders of the past. Even today, the State has the promise and potential to be the torchbearer of tomorrow's progress and prosperity. No rendition of our great epic, Ramayana is complete without mention of Mithila and its philosopher king, Janaka, one of the earliest proponents of the rule of law and righteousness. Neither can we forget the mighty Mauryan Kingdom in Bihar under Chandragupta and Asoka and the Golden Gupta Age which laid the foundation of the first all India empire.

Ascendancy of political power and cultural patronage is only one facet of Bihar in the ancient times. What is more impressive is that all along dynamism in the thought process of the people was allowed free play. Aryabhatt, the famous mathematician was a son of Bihar. Intellectual ferment also shaped religious reform movements. Bihar became the Karma-bhoomi of two of the world's most venerated religious teachers, Gautam Buddha and Mahavira. The doctrines of ahimsa and peace taught by them remains a guiding force even in the present times when the menace of terrorism has assumed global proportions. It would be remiss not to mention that the tenth Guru of the Sikh faith, Guru Gobind Singh was also born in the sacred soil here.

Yet another hallmark of the State have been its pioneering achievements in the realm of higher learning. The Nalanda University is widely acknowledged to be the blueprint of a modern day residential, international university. Its fame as a centre of learning spread far and wide attracting students from all over the world. Chanakya came from Takshila to Nalanda in search of learning and authored the famous political treatise, "Arthashastra", which is of practical relevance even today. The Buddhist University of Vikramshila was yet another renowned seat of higher education. Bihar continued to have more than a fair share of towering personalities with visionary perspective even in the medieval age and modern times. The administrative framework put in place by Sher Shah Suri became a model for emulation by his successors. His brain-child of building the Grand Trunk Road from Bengal to Punjab can well be called the precursor of the concept of National Highways.

Bihar's 10 Year Development Profile

We should generate 10 year profile with the core competencies what we had with us in the past and present. Bihar had the Greatest University, the Greatest of Leaders, the Greatest of Kings, the Greatest of Religions, the Greatest of Rivers, the Greatest of Workmen, the Greatest of Administrators in this land of Bihar. But while our past achievements make us feel proud, we cannot afford complacency in confronting the enormous challenges facing us today. The Prime Minister in his Independence Day address on 15 August, 2002 declared that India should become a developed nation by 2020. In order to realize developed India by 2020, five key areas have been identified for Integrated Action at the national level.

1. 'Agriculture and food processing'

2. 'Education and healthcare',

3. 'Infrastructure development including electric power'

4. 'Information and Communication Technology'

5. 'Critical technologies and strategic industries'.

Nation develops if states develop

For the nation to develop, all the States have to develop. Bihar has an important role to play in realizing this vision. We have to look ahead with confidence and set our sights high to make Bihar the leading example of resilience, growth, modernity and collective achievement. I am personally optimistic about Bihar's success in negotiating the path of high growth especially because of the superior quality of human capital that the State is endowed with. We have to explore ways and means of leveraging our demographic resources to our advantage. Afterall, people from this State who went as mere labourers to countries like Mauritius, Surinam, Fiji have turned into today's captains of polity and industry in these countries by dint of their hard work. We have huge opportunities staring at us. Let us all collectively resolve to maximize our potential. Agriculture provides livelihood to nearly 80% of the Biharis. In our march towards progress and prosperity, we have to, therefore, largely concentrate on our kisans and agriculture. The agricultural scenario is traditionally characterized by low productivity, small farm-holdings, subsistence farming and low levels of agricultural income. Within these constraints, we have to reorient our agricultural strategy to make it an effective social net against hunger and poverty. Now Let me unfurl the roadmap How to bring the glory of Bihar to how it was before 1950s. One event I want to narrate which I experienced in this land.

Higher yield of agriculture production and technology

To put the vision into action, Government had provided certain funds for the experimental development tasks of agriculture, higher education, in certain industrial fields, multiple rural connectivity, power and certain advanced areas. I thought of sharing some experiences and results of working in specific area as an example. These are built on our earlier experiences with mission areas of sugar, fly ash and composites. Late. Prof SK Sinha, a renowned agricultural scientist who was a former Director IARI, and TIFAC took up a project on "A System's Approach to Enhance Agricultural Productivity in Central Bihar and Eastern India". ICAR unit at Patna participated. About 6 villages of RP Channel-5 and nine villages of Majhauli distributaries were selected during the Kharif season of 1998. The system approach consisted of soil analysis, seed choice, cultivation season, fertiliser selection and training to the farmers particularly usage of remote sensing data.

TIFAC team with ICAR with the support of District Collector, a roadmap was prepared. The analysis was done on why Bihar farmers in a certain areas should get 2 MT/hectare while their counterparts in Punjab and Haryana get 8 MT/hectare. Intensive training was given to the farmers by renouned scientists which included right type of seed selection to suit the soil, right type of fertilizer and proper water management and also the importance of when to sow the seed. Many cooperative societies were activated for seed, fertilizer supplies and water management. This experiment resulted in to 6 tonnes yield from 2 tonnes. This reveals the potential of the land, quality of the workforce, water and fertiliser management. When the farmers harvested, they saw abundance not only in wheat production but also various type of vegetables. They also celebrated their achievement in agriculture production in which some of us also participated.

This intensive collaboration of scientists and farmers resulted nearly increase to 5 tons/hectare yield of wheat. This is spreading fast to other areas. Near about 200 villages are participating in the programme. It is also spreading to Devaria District of UP. When we visited a few villages where this systems approach is used, we found that the farmers are happy that the production has increased. Their income has increased too. Naturally these bring new issues like equipment for faster harvesting, storage, marketing and banking system. I am glad that they have come up with ideas for solutions and also are preparing to work together and share facilities.

Concerted steps have to be taken for enhanced agricultural productivity and improved cropping intensity. Adoption of scientific farm management practices, technological improvements, agricultural research and broad basing of farm extension services, transport infrastructure in rural areas, viable agri-marketing mechanism are some of the critical issues which need to be addressed to make agriculture more competitive. Enabling environment has to be provided to rural credit institutions and agricultural cooperatives to seize the opportunities of economic liberalization. Sustained growth in rural income and rural livelihood is the surest recipe for a vibrant economy.

Development Potential

Bihar enjoys climatic conditions favourable for cultivation of a wide range of crops. It also has higher potential for Fisheries and aqua-culture. The vast fresh water resources needs to be exploited scientifically. Enhancement of fish seed production and pond productivity needs special attention. The pilot project to be taken up in Motihari for development of fisheries can become a trend setter. Livestock production is yet another important avenue for providing employment especially to the landless and small land-holders.

Irrigation Systems in Bihar

India is going to enter in another decades time into a knowledge society. What type of knowledge society it is going to be?

A knowledge society can be one of the foundations for realizing the vision for the nation: Developed India. Knowledge has always been the prime mover of prosperity and power. The acquisition of knowledge has therefore been the thrust area through out the world and sharing the experience of knowledge is a unique culture of our country. India is a nation endowed with natural and competitive advantages as also certain distinctive competencies. But these are scattered in isolated pockets and the awareness on these is inadequate.

Agenda for the young in Developed India Mission

Developed India will become a reality. The Prime Minister, on Independence Day-2002, had announced that we will become a Developed India by 2020. The largest beneficiary of this dream when realized will be you, the young. Hence it is important that you contribute in its initial stages of realization and shape it to the best of your abilities with in your academic and family confines. The biggest concern of the parents and the children in your age group is about the job prospects when you complete your education. Without worrying about minor variations in the subjects of your pursuit, your opportunities and future will be brighter if you excel in whatever subject you undertake to study. At the frontier there are no borders. The employment opportunities are many, when a person becomes very selective like Government jobs, then there is tremendous constraints comes. If you open up your thoughts for entrepreneurship,design, industry, direct participation in agriculture with innovative ideas, making IT products etc. Most important thing for future young generation is to make up its mind to contribute in all sectors. The tool can be knowledge and physical contribution. In student life inspite of various constraints you can uniquely contribute for national development.

Irrigation Systems in Bihar

I am happy to know that work on the renovation of the Western Gandak Canal system is nearing completion. Restoration of the Eastern Gandak Canal system which is being taken up with the help of Planning Commission is also expected to restore lost irrigation potential of nearly 3.4 lakh hectares. These efforts would make a tangible impact on the agriculture of Bihar. The implementation of the "Million Shallow Tubewell Programme" is yet another step in the right direction. The participative irrigation management technique adopted in Paliganj is laudable and one of the proudest success stories of the State. Transfer of the water distribution system including its repair and maintenance to local farmers beneficiary committee has been working wonderfully. The collection of water tax from beneficiary farmers has also improved and the command area of irrigation has nearly doubled. This shows that people-centred development programmes have the innate potentiality to succeed. When people are treated as partners and stake-holders in the development process, chances of success are invariably better. There may be set-backs and even retreats. But each step forward, each such improvement is a gain worth having.

We have to find out what is needed to bridge the gap between where we are now and what we want to be. I am sure there will be consensual agreement on the need to put infrastructure penetration on a fast-track. Rapid development of infrastructure is the key to accelerated growth in all sectors of the economy. Road network is the life-line of the country. The road length per lakh population in Bihar has to rise to a level comparable to the rest of the county. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and the National Highways Development Project including the Golden Quadrilateral under implementation has to be taken advantage of.

My visits to rural parts of India have confirmed that the problem of rural India is lack of connectivity. Physical connectivity is one of them. Once National Highways and State highways get linked to village clusters and transport services are provided, the road network will get a boost. This in turn will enhance market potential for rural goods. This linkage assumes greater importance in a State like Bihar which is predominantly rural as well as agrarian. I am glad to know that the State Government has already approached NABARD for funding of district roads.

Along with the development of roads, the State Government and the Planning Commission has taken up with Power Grid Corporation to find out measures of improving the transmission-distribution network and operational efficiency of power-plants. A vibrant and quality power sector in the rural area has to be coupled with a reliable communication and IT network. This would bring about electronic connectivity. Another connectivity which is required for empowering the rural people is establishing more schools, professional institutions and vocational training centres. This would usher in knowledge connectivity. If these three connectivities are in place, that is, physical connectivity, electronic connectivity and knowledge connectivity, then automatically economic or market connectivity will follow which will fetch the best value for the products and services of rural people, enrich employment opportunities and facilitate economic self sufficiency.

PURA - Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas

Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) is another example for creating rural wealth and prosperity. The model envisages a habitat designed to improve the quality of life in rural places and makes special suggestions to remove urban congestion. The PURA has to be a business proposition economically viable and managed by entrepreneurs and small scale industrialists, as it involves education, health, power generation, transport and management. Government's support should be available in empowering such management agencies in providing initially economic support and finding the right type of management structure and the leaders to manage.

I would urge the leading industrialists of the State and also the representative of the apex industry organization present here to consider adopting a group of villages, in partnership with banks and financial institutions, for providing urban facilities to them. These rural complexes should be economically self-sustaining and form the backbone of a developed Bihar.

Networking of rivers

Bihar experiences heavy flood every year and drought sometimes. Inflow of flood is from neighbouring countries. We have to harness water so that flood and drought have to be managed. Networking of rivers is essential for flood and drought control, for availability of drinking water to all regions, for goods navigation and transportation and for increased power generation and cultivation land. This mission will also provide employment opportunities to the rural population. Science and technology can surely help in executing such mission. Remote sensing to survey and evolve optimum water routes, environmental mapping and afforestation requirements, and continuous monitoring of the networked water flow through all seasons and at all times may require a dedicated satellite constellation for our networked river systems. Above all, the networking will lead to enhancement of environment and national connectivity. When we are studying Bihar and its potential let us look our national scene.

Creative Leadership

For building the developed India, what are needed? We have natural resources and we have human power. There are 700 million people below 35 years in the population of a billion people. The nation needs young leaders who can command the change for transformation of India into a developed nation embedded with knowledge society from now to twenty years. The leaders are the creators of new organizations of excellence. Quality leaders are like magnets that will attract the best of persons to build the team for the organization and give inspiring leadership even during failures of missions as they are not afraid of risks. I have seen and worked with creators of vision and missions. The vision ignites particularly the young mind.

One of the very important ingredients for success of the vision of transforming India into a developed nation by 2020 is the evolution of creative leaders. I am giving a connectivity between developed India, economic prosperity, technology, production, productivity, employee role and management quality, all of which linked to the creative leader. Who is that creative leader? What are the qualities of a creative leader? The creative leadership is exercising the task to change the traditional role from commander to coach, manager to mentor, from director to delegator and from one who demands respect to one who facilitate self respect. The higher the proportion of creative leaders in a nation, the higher the potential of success of visions like "developed India."

As I said earlier, the strength of a nation predominantly resides in its natural and human resources. Human resources, particularly our large young population forms a unique core strength of the nation. Our nation's future lies with our children and youth. They are our hope for tomorrow. We need to carefully nurture this vast and precious human capital. We have to ignite their minds to achieve the vision of a developed Bihar and a developed India. I must recall an incident during my visit to more than 20 States and Union Territories in the country. A child belonging to Nagaland asked me, " I would like to live in a happy, prosperous, peaceful and safe India. Tell me, what will you do Mr. President. Also tell me what I should do for that." This reflects that the vision of developed India is reverberating in every nook and corner of the country and that the children are not only aware of their responsibilities but are also expecting us to inspire them with a creative leadership to achieve the vision of a developed India by 2020.

The task of building a developed nation is a collective task in which every State has to play its due role. The task is undoubtedly mammoth and sometimes looks daunting. Neither should we belittle what we have achieved so far nor should we get overwhelmed by how much more needs to be done. Instead we should think positively and give an extra push to the pace of progress. So long we remain steadfast to our goals and true to our priorities, we will surely surmount all hurdles and reach nearer our goal of a developed nation.

Concluding Remarks

Bihar, with its rich factor endowment has been a land of attractive economic opportunities. Its immense mineral wealth makes it the treasure trove of India. Its bountiful agro climatic resources and the gains of the Green Revolution have enabled the state to become a leading producer of agriculture commodities. Its population of nearly 90 million provides vital human resources over the full spectrum of modern technological and management skills for nation building. It also constitutes a vast and rapidly expanding consumer market for a variety of products and services. We need to translate our natural advantages to rapid economic growth and prosperity of our people. We should also facilitate entrepreneurs, from all over the world to be partners in our progress by providing them with quality infrastructure and business friendly environment for smooth operation of their investment proposals and projects to eliminate delays. Building on its comparative advantage in mineral, agroclimatic and human resources Bihar has to embark upon a path to become a vibrant and globally competitive industrial economy.

My best wishes to you all.