Interview With Northeast Television(Netv), Guwahati, Mizoram

My greetings to all the citizens of North Eastern states. I have visited North Eastern states number of times. I have always remembered the warmth of the people, and the smiles in the faces of the people whenever I come here; I used to meet them and interact with them and share their dreams. Today�s and tomorrow�s visit mainly focused on rural areas. In Manipur I addressed the Manipur University Convocation focus was on �Empowering the youth of Manipur�, later I visited Passion Fruit Extraction plant at Mao Village, where I met tribal leaders, self-help-group members, farmers and large number of students and the youth of that region, later I addressed the students and the villagers at Bunglon High School, Chura-chand-pur. In Bunglon, one of the student asked me Mr. President, we want to live in a prosperous, happy and peaceful state, to achieve this as a student, what we have to do? So far I have met more than one million students and youth below 25 years, across the nation. This question is constantly ringing in the minds of the youth. It is our collective responsibility to work for fulfilling the dreams of our youth. In India we have 540 million youth, the ignited minds of the youth is the most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and under the earth.

1. Do you also keep monitoring whether the state governments do act as per your detailed plan? Is there an effective monitoring mechanism?

Ans: I have given the road map using the experience I had through my visit to the states, inputs from the planning commission, inputs from state government and the central ministries and independent evaluation. My team had spent sleepless nights also when I presented I emphasized that the development of state is more important and the state is bigger than the political parties. Also, I allow discussions after presentations. After my presentation to the assembly, majorities of the assemblies have conducted full-pledged assembly sessions for the implementation of the proposed missions. Also whenever I visit the state later and addressed the universities, Chamber of commerce and other business and service institutions, I have always referred to the missions and created linkages between the institutions and the missions of the state. For example, Karnataka Government, Madhya Pradesh Government, Bihar Government have taken follow up action on all the missions and they are in the way of implementing them. In respect of Kerala the media also took the initiative and facilitated discussion with government, intellectuals and other stakeholders. They have given an action plan for implementing the missions, thus the media has become one of the partners of the state government.

2. Is your roadmap an addition to the planned development as laid down in the annual and five year plans? Is there any conflict between the two?

Ans: When we were prepared the roadmap, we ask the details from all ministries, state government and also the planning commission. We took the development radar prepared by the planning commission on an eight point criteria. Our aim was to improve on all the parameters of the development radar. The missions what we proposed was based on the core competence of the state and was complementary to the state plan and the 5 year plans of the planning commission. What we gave is a long term perspective for making the state developed state before 2015. Since the developed states only will make the developed India before 2020.

3. Your intellectual breadth and vision and on hand experience with science and technology applications have played a major role in framing these roadmaps. But does it not project a challenge to your successors in this august office that you have been holding with such distinction?

Ans: I personally believe any good system, irrespective of the incumbents, it will survive. What I have found in the past four years, there is a general awakening in the country about development. There are also some good successes to taste. That is one reason; I think, number of state assemblies has given me an opportunity to discuss the development missions for the state. When I started with one or two assemblies, other state assemblies also wanted me to come and address. I therefore see that Indian people, Indian political system has started believing the concept of mission oriented development programmes for the national growth. It requires a roadmap and an action oriented plan, which may be fine tuned based on mid course performance review.

4. Though the Constitution sets down the Presidential powers and the Government�s responsibilities, in the last four years have you found many areas of overlap, conflict and gray areas in the relation between the President and the Prime Minister?

Ans: The system is very good and resilient; it allows for plenty of opportunities to work together. When the tasks executed keeping the philosophy that nation is bigger than any individual, there is no relationship problems.

5. One such area where the differences came up in the public was the Office of Profits legislation. How did you react when the bill you objected to was returned to you in to forcing you to sign it irrespective of your better judgment?

Ans: Issues connected with OOP is quite clear. The decisions we took was in strict conformity to the constitutional provisions both in letter and spirit. You will notice that the further actions by both the houses of parliament in terms of formation of JPC and the general mood of the people and political parties as vindicated our stand.

6. In your favorite area of science and technology and your remarkable campaign to wake up young minds to the opportunities in science, what new steps the government should take, according to you?

Ans:

a. The entire Primary and secondary education requires a revamping in terms of imbibing creativity in children. To a certain extend MHRD and CBSE has taken few steps in promoting creativity at primary level.

b. Science & technology should be oriented towards realizing the Vision 2020 Missions.

c. University Curriculum must create the capacities such as research and enquiry, creativity and innovation, use of high technology, entrepreneurship and moral leadership among the youth so that they can be contribute fully for developed India vision 2020.

d. Special avenues should be created for induction of about 1000 young students every year to pursue pure scientific research as their career goal.

7. For instance, while the medical and engineering and management training colleges are choked with applicants, many basic science courses go without students. Should there be some policy shifts to encourage people to take up basic sciences and research?

Ans: As you may be aware government has started Institute of Science, Research and Education in two states. We also need to work progressively to create a Global Human Resource cadre which will provide the youth either with higher education in science, technology and research or with state-of-the-art employable skills which will make the country internationally competitive. By 2050, I visualize 50% of the Indian youth will have higher education progressively compared to 10% as on today and the other 50% will have high quality skills.

8. Now that you have completed the major part of your term would you list some of the programmes which you have initiated and that have given you great satisfaction? Like the PURA for instance?

Ans: I would like to mention, some of the programmes which gives me satisfaction are:

Rural Development: Ministry of Rural Development has planned to establish 33 PURA Clusters across the nation. Number private educational and societal organizations are taking up PURA to develop the rural village clusters.

Energy: 5 States have gone for the Jatropha plantation for Bio-diesel generation actively. Energy policy has been announced.

Knowledge Grid: NKC is planning to establish the knowledge Grid across the nation by networking at least 5000 academic institutions, universities, colleges using 100 mbps network.

Virtual University: Three 150 years old universities has started the Virtual University and I have inaugurated and addressed 20,000 students through virtual classrooms

Village Knowledge Centre: 100,000 Common Services Centre has been initiated by MCIT to provide value added services delivery to the village citizens.

E-Governance: Establishing National ID and building e-Governance GRID for G2G and G2C services are gaining momentum. Government of India announced Rs. 23,000 Crores for the G2C e-Governance services and setting up of SWAN (State Wide Area Network)

9. You have visited North-eastern states and have advised them with roadmaps for their development. But don�t you consider such advice is not enough in a situation where there are many insurgent groups in almost all states, the insurgency is preventing flow of investment and lack of investment breeds dissatisfied youth and that feeds the insurgent groups thereby creating a developmental logjam. Is there hope for the suffering people of North-east in such a situation?

Ans: North Eastern States provide us many opportunities and challenges. I also find that the people have started realizing that insurgency is working against the future of the youth. As aggressive development of the North Eastern states picks up, people will be ready to make sacrifices and meet any challenge coming in the interest of the development. Hence the message I would like to give is, both state and central government is to go far aggressive development programmes by empowering the youth of the state. We have to improve the employment opportunities through skill enabling, knowledge enabling and entrepreneurship development irrespective of the insurgencies and extremist violence.