Address While Interaction With Students At Science City - CII

VISION FOR INDIA

I am indeed delighted to address and interact with students of various schools of Punjab. My greetings to all of you. I was thinking what thoughts I can share with my young friends of Punjab the land of brave people like Shaheed Bhagat Singh and many others. This region you have a beautiful added opportunity if you dream, if you sweat and if you persevere you will succeed in many fields and in unique ways. When I am in the midst of the young, I thought of sharing some of my experiences.

I recall an event of meeting the students of Nagaland during my recent visit. A 5th class boy 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?". During my interactions with school children of the 17 States and 3 Union Territories which I have visited so far, a series of similar questions were raised. My visit included North East that is full of bio diversity, the desert region in the West, the southern states surrounded by the beautiful seas, and other economically stronger and also not so stronger states with varied cultures. Also I have studied various reports on the performance of the states and had discussions. Everywhere, the Vision of 'developed' India reverberated, particularly among the young who projected their aspirations to live in a happy, prosperous and peaceful India.

Marvels of the Universe

Let me start the address with some of the questions posed to me by the children recently during a personal interaction. The questions were from Vikrant Nahal Arya of Sanskriti School and Rupanjali Lahiri of St Thomas School, New Delhi. They asked me very simple question which led me to think. The question was : " Your birthday has recently gone by. What were your thoughts on that day?." They wanted to know what my birthday meant to me. It meant for me that I had completed 71 orbits around the sun, and had entered my 72nd orbit. Think of our Universe. I am amazed and always inspired by the dynamics of our universe. Our star (sun), its planets, every celestial object has a purpose. If the Earth stopped rotating around its axis, what would happen? No earth, No night, no day. If Sun does not orbit, sun will not be there. Think of it. The sun also orbit around the Milky Way. Isn't it. It takes the Sun 250 million years for one orbit around Milky Way, our galaxy. Compare that to my 72nd orbits. What does that mean? One single citizen completing 71 orbits. It is an insignificant event, compared to dynamics of universe. But human mind is innovative and can think and explore the marvels of universe.

The cross section of people of young age group have inspired mind to make the nation great. It is important to recognize that India has a population of 700 million young people below 35 years. This is a big force. How to ignite the young minds? Only launching the vision for the nation will bring the young force into action. When I see such a young gathering bubbling with happiness and action oriented spirit and above all young minds, I believe, it is time for India to enter into the second vision led by the young of this country.

Thumba to Geo-synchronous Orbit

Friends, have you heard about Thumba? It is in Kerala on the sea shore. This is the place from where Indian space program commenced. It is a big story how Thumba was selected for space program. Prof Vikram Sarabhai, a Cosmic Ray Scientist and Homi Bhabha a Nuclear Scientist were searching for a place from where they can launch sounding rockets for atmospheric research, ionospheric research and meteorological research. After seeing various places, they came to a conclusion that Thumba is the right place as it is very close to the Equator which will help the space research in equatorial zones. That's how NIKE CAJUN - a two staged rocket was launched in Nov 1963. That was a Indo-US cooperation Program. Within six years time, Prof Vikram Sarabhai unfurled the space mission for India that should build Satellite Launch Vehicle capability, to put India's communication satellite in the geo-synchronous orbit and remote sensing satellite in the polar orbit. Also, he envisaged that launch vehicles built in India should be launched from Indian soil. This one visionary thought led to intensive research in multiple fields of science and space technology. Today, India with her 25,000 scientific technological and support staff in multiple space research centres have the capability to build any type of satellite launch vehicles, any type of rockets and launch it from Indian soil. I had the fortune to be part of Prof Vikram Sarabhai's vision and my team and myself to participate in India's first satellite launch vehicle programme to put the satellite in the orbit.

India's Technological Progress

India after its independence was determined to move ahead with planned policies for Science & Technology. Now, India is very near to self-sufficiency in food, making the ship to mouth existence of 1950s, an event of the past. Also improvements in the health sector, have eliminated few contagious diseases. There is a increase in life expectancy. Small scale industries provide high percentage of National GDP - a vast change in 1990s compared to 1950s. Today India can design, develop and launch world class geo-stationary and sun synchronous, remote sensing satellites.

The nuclear establishments have reached the capability of building nuclear power stations, nuclear medicine and nuclear irradiation of agricultural seeds for growth in agricultural production. Today India has become a Nuclear Weapon State. Defence Research had led to design, development and production of Main Battle Tanks, strategic missile systems, electronic warfare systems and various armours. Also we have seen growth in the Information Technology; the country is progressing in hardware and software export business of more than 10 billion dollars even though there are low ebbs in the last few years. India yet is a developing country. What Technology can do further?

Technology has multiple dimensions. Geopolitics convert the technology to a particular nation's policy. The same policy will lead to economic prosperity and capability for national security. For example, the developments in chemical engineering brought fertilizers for higher yield of crops while the same science led to chemical weapons. Likewise, rocket technology developed for atmospheric research helped in launching satellites for remote sensing and communication applications which are vital for the economic development. The same technology led to development of missiles with specific defense needs that provides security for the nation. The aviation technology development has led to fighter and bomber aircraft, and the same technology will lead to passenger jet and also help operations requiring quick reach of support to people affected by disasters. At this stage, let us study global growth of technology and impact in human life.

Friends, let us discuss what you the young understand from this experience. I can say the essence of this experience is : Thinking is the Progress.

Thinking is the Progress

Friends, we should note that human mind is a unique gift. You can try to fathom the marvels of universe. You can enter into it only if you have curiosity and thinking. I suggest to all the young, thinking should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups and downs you come across in your life. Thinking is progress. Non thinking is destruction to the individual, organization and the country. Thinking leads to action. Knowledge without action is useless and irrelevant. Knowledge with action brings prosperity.

I would like you, dear young, to have a mind to explore every aspect of human life. Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires to give the best to those who dream. Like Chandrasekhar Subramaniam discovered the black hole, today, using Chandrasekar's limit we can calculate how long the sun will shine. Like, Sir CV Raman looked at the sea and questioned why the sea should be blue lead to the birth of Raman Effect. Like, Albert Einstein, armed with the complexity of the universe, asked the questions about nature of the universe, the famous equation E=mc2 arrived. When E=mc2 is in the hands of Nobel souls we got electricity using nuclear materials. When the same equation was in the hands of extreme political thinkers, destruction of Hiroshima took place.

It was 11th May in 1998, the Indian scientists witnessed a great event of the nation. The nuclear explosion one after another - five explosions took place. I was standing on the planet earth on a hot sandy hill. The earth shook as though Atlas shrugged. I felt India could create the energy of any magnitude but also I remembered the importance of technology in the hands of good human beings. Fortunately, the central theme of our nuclear doctrine has become "no first use". It was born out of the civilisational heritage of the nation. During the last millennium one Nobel soul walked and walked in the Indian soil giving application of ahimsa dharma leading to the Indian independence. My dear friends, wouldn't you like to become a Nobel minded Mahatma Gandhi or a great intellectual like Sir CV Raman or Einstein or Chandrasekhar Subramaniam. Look at the marvels of your universe. You become a great thinker and action will follow.

Knowledge Society

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

Vision for the nation

We got freedom in 1947, that was the result of first vision for the nation. This vision created best of leaders in many fields like politics, philosophy, science & technology and industry. In many aspects of life, improvement in literacy, agricultural products, strategic areas, certain small and large-scale industries took place. Now more than fifty years have gone by and we are called as one of the hundreds of developing countries, in a distinct way a separation from G-8 countries. We have many challenges. Nearly 300 million people who are below the poverty line have to join the mainstream of a good life. 100% literacy, health for all, multiple industrial and agricultural productivity and life style with value system has to emerge. Hence we need the second vision for the nation to become developed.

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.

Student Centric Literacy Movement

One of the important indicators of a developed nation is the literacy level. Educating a nation of a billion people is not a small task. It requires the participation of all the stake holders starting from the young. Many of you are fortunate enough to attend good schools for a quality education. But many of your brothers and sisters are not that fortunate, particularly those from the villages near you. A good sign of a developed nation is that it is built on societies wherein "people who have" to work hard to bridge the divide between them and "those who have not". One way of doing this is for your school to adopt a village near you. When we look at the national target of increasing the literacy level from 57% to 75% by 2010, you must set the target for the village you adopted to be in tune with the national mission. Each one of you could visit the villages on holidays and contribute to removal of illiteracy of at least two persons and light the quest for knowledge in them. Work with consortium of industries, philanthropists, NGOs and ensure that this task is sustainable and its impact can be measurable and quantified.

The educational institutions have to gear-up to evolve a curriculum that is sensitive to the social and technological needs of the Developed India. Student activities towards such missions could be seamlessly integrated with the existing curriculum so that the future members of the knowledge society are fully developed in all aspects of societal transformation.

Student Centric Eco-care Movement

The trees and vegetation around us are the best transformers of energy from the sun on a sustainable basis for our utilization. In the process they provide us the most efficient way of cleaning up our environment, shelter for all living species, a source of food and energy. They are often associated with serene environments that facilitate creative thoughts and actions. As you know dreaming, and dreams transforming into action are important constituents of developed India, friends what you can contribute. Without pain and tears, 200 million of you, if you plant five seedlings, you will add a billion trees, and mother India will give her smiles to you. On that day you will demonstrate to the world that what 200 millions children can do collectively and make us proud. The tree planting may be done in your house, school or in the village your school adopts. The school management or the NGOs should help this student centric eco-care movement on a sustainable basis. Few years from now every one us, Indians, must be a proud guardian of trees planted by the young. This dynamic movement will echo the children's concern for eco-friendly future.

A billion trees also require careful planning water which is already becoming a scare commodity in this country. While the efforts are being taken to make the mother earth greener, the rainwater due to lack of proper planning gets wasted. By todays technology, it is possible to develop a small scale water harvesting stations. For example your school can think of developing a water harvesting station with 10 CFT per student with in your school complex or in the village adopted by your school. If you do that the inbuilt thoughts in you will bring a spirit to share the national resources. Rainwater harvesting will maintain water table level preventing environmental decay and making water available for agriculture and drinking.

Power of the Ignited Minds Dear Young Friends, When you are haunted with cultural invasions through media and elsewhere, think of you as children of civilisational bliss. We withstood multiple invasions and many dynasties ruled us. Today, India is free from invasions and is independent. We cherish the family values and spiritual life. Many developed nations are dreaming for such a full life. Our philosophy is, "Give them and go on giving". Friends, when you hear the exaggerated turbulence in our society, have courage to feel that we are the nation of a billion people with multiple religions and languages. We are the largest democracy of continuity in this planet. No other nation has this unique strength of our experience. Spread this beautiful message everywhere.

Young friends, when you get the defeatist state of mind, you cheer, because you belong to this great nation. We are self-reliant in food production, we make our own communication satellites, and also we launch our own remote sensing satellites. When India became 'Nuclear Weapon State' and when India became a missile power, developed nations launched on us economic and technological sanctions in 1998 till date. We withstood and combated with our agricultural, technological, industrial might and above all the courage of our people. Keep this spirit and multiply with your dynamic momentum.

Young friends, when you look around the world, you get discouraged, to think that, you belong to one of the hundreds of developing nations and not belong to the so called developed 'G-8'. Think of the billion ignited Indian minds. This is the most powerful resource compared to any resource on the earth, above the earth and below the earth. Our sweat will transform developing India into a developed nation. That is the vision, INDIA MILLENNIUM MISSION 2020 - a developed India. Also, remember the famous saying of a poet, "I work, God honours me".

Conclusion

A nation is great, not because a few people are great, but because every one in the nation is great. I wish you all to excel in your studies and become Doctors, Engineers, Scientists, Entrepreneurs, Officers of armed forces, Teachers, Lawyers, Administrators, Political Leaders and above all the best human beings with traditional value system and societal care. The challenge in the mission of the developed India calls for an important, cohesive and focused efforts of the young. Just like our first vision of Independence created leaders, I am sure you all will rise to the occasion and become professional in multiple areas.