Inauguration of MAEER's MIT Women's Engineering College's New Building Complex

I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN PROSPEROUS INDIA

I am indeed delighted to participate in the inauguration of MAEER's MIT Women's Engineering College building complex. I was thinking what thoughts I can share with the students and technicians on this important occasion. The next two decades are very important for India for transforming from 'developing' country to a 'developed' nation. The responsible citizens, particularly women are all the more important for the nation as their thoughts, the way of working and value system will lead to fast development of a good family, good society and a good nation.

Emerging women

I see in front of me the future women engineers and scientists with the urge to participate in the national development. At this juncture, I am reminded of Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharatiar, who in 1910 composed the poem envisioning women of India:

This beautiful poem means

She walks ahead with a raised up face,

With her eyes looking straight,

She has her principles,

Unafraid of anybody!

She has a lofty

And knowledge based pride

Such cultured women,

Don't falter from the chosen path

She drives ignorance away

She welcomes the bliss of life

With learned mind

This is the Dharma

Of emerging woman.

The dream of the poet, I am sure, is becoming reality.

Technology Leaders

I have worked with many women scientists and technologists in Defence Research, Space Research and Nuclear Establishments. It was indeed a delightful experience to work with them. I would like to share some of my experiences.

In DRDO, around 6,000 scientists and technologists are contributing in very important strategic systems, weapons and electronic warfare systems and also many bio-technology systems required for the armed forces. You would have heard about AGNI flight trials. AGNI missile system flies with 14 time's speed of sound and re-enters the atmosphere with 35000C. The re-entry structure of AGNI will be burning while entering the atmosphere, but the mission requirement calls for, when AGNI re-enters the payload inside the re-entry structure has to be of the room temperature. This re-entry structure has been designed and developed by a unique material called Carbon-Carbon. Carbon is matrix and Carbon is also a re-inforcing material. The process and technology has been highly guarded. No country will ever part with this technology. The structure was designed, processed, developed and established at a facility by one of our top scientists in the missile complex, Mrs Rohini Devi with her team of 20 members.

The AKASH missile system is guided by Phased Array Radar - RAJENDRA. This radar can simultaneously track multiple target aircraft and also guide multiple missiles towards these targets. The crucial technology to achieve this capability is 'phase shifter', when integrated in large numbers for electronic beam steering. RAJENDRA has 4500 phase shifters. These phase shifters were not commercially available because of restriction from developed countries. This phase shifter was designed and developed by Prof Bharati Bhat, a well-known and respected scientist from Centre for Applied Research in Electronics (CARE) of IIT, Delhi, with her team. Now, India has Phased Array Radar on par with technology of developed country.

Organisation empowerment

I would like to recall an incident of 1972 nearly 3 decades back. When Dr.Vikram Sarabhai the founder of ISRO passed away there was indeed a crisis. Prof.Kamala Choudhary a renowned management expert from IIM, Ahmedabad was given the task by Prof MGK Menon the then Chairman, ISRO to re-organise ISRO with the changed environment and the mission. She started her work by interviewing different cross section of scientists, technicians and staff and came out with a reorganization management plan for ISRO which was unique and stands even today. It had two important aspects - innovative thinking and people centric missions, taking into account the organization vision and people's dreams and aspirations. The result of such empowered organisation plan eletricified ISRO to achieve major milestones and has become a very successful organization with eminent leaders heading ISRO.

Nobility in leadership

Two decades ago while I was working at ISRO, I had the best of education which won't come from any university. I will narrate that incident. I was given a task by Prof. Satish Dhawan to develop the first satellite launch vehicle SLV-3, to put ROHINI Satellite in orbit. This was one of the largest high technology space programmes under take in 1973. The whole space technology community, men and women, were geared up for this task. Thousands of scientists, engineers and technicians worked resulting in the realisation of the first SLV-3 launch on 10th august 1979. SLV-3 took off in the early hours and the first stage worked beautifully. But the mission could not achieve the objectives, as the control system in 2nd stage malfunctioned. There was a press conference at Sriharikota, after the event. Prof. Dhawan took me to the press conference. And there he announced that he takes responsibility for not achieving the mission. When we launched SLV-3 on 18th July 1980, successfully injecting the Rohini Satellite in to the orbit, again there was a press conference and Prof. Dhawan put me in the front to share the success story with the press. What we learn from this event is that the leader gives the credit for success to those who worked for it, and he absorbs the failures. This is the leadership. The scientific community in India has the fortune to work with such leaders, which resulted in many accomplishments.

The first vision for the nation:India's independence

India laid the seeding of independence in 1857. Freedom Movement was the first vision for the nation. It took 90 years to get the freedom using multiple methodologies to vacate foreign powers. The vision generated leaders across the political spectrum, many scientific leaders, industrial leaders, literary giants, great economists and several accomplished persons. Above all, a large number of men, women and youth rose as one for the freedom movement

The national ambience

The young nation after its independence was determined to move ahead with independent policies. Now thanks to several actions, India is very near to self-sufficiency in food, making the near famine conditions of 1950s. Also improvements in the health sector, have eliminated many contagious diseases. There is a major increase in life expectancy. Also small-scale industries provide 40% of industrial GDP - a vast change in 1990s compared to 1950s. We also witnessed the vision generated in 1960s for the space programme, nuclear programme and defence programme resulting in reality both in commercial and defence applications. For example, 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. Defence research has led to design, development and production of Main Battle Tanks, missile systems, electronic warfare systems and various armours. Also we have seen in the ambient conditions for growth in the Information Technology; the country is progressing in hardware and software business of more than billion dollars. However, after five decades of independence, the nation still suffers from poverty of 40% of citizens and a deficient education and health infrastructure aggravated by population growth. We also see the best of countries and in many areas worst of the countries. Need of the hour is the evolution of the second vision of the nation.

What can be the second vision for the nation to transform India to a developed country?

I recall an event of meeting the students of Nagaland during my recent visit. A 5th class boy asked, "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, 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 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. Hence, the title of my address emerged from the urge of the boy from Nagaland.

To become a developed India, the essential needs are (a) India has to be economically and commercially powerful, atleast to be one of the top nations in terms of size of the economy. It also include the condition that GDP growth is 7 to 9% annually and to bring down the poverty level. (b) near self-reliance in defence needs of weapon, equipment with no umbilical attached to any outside world. (c) India should have a standing in the world affairs. The challenge in front of us is to become a developed India.

India has core competence in five areas for an integrated action. (1) Agriculture and food processing - we have a put a target of 360 million tons of food and agricultural production. Other areas of agriculture and agro food processing would bring prosperity to rural people and speed up the economic growth. (2) Reliable and quality electric power for all parts of the country. (3) Education and Healthcare - education and healthcare are inter related. For example, Kerala with education and better healthcare can bring down the population growth and provide improvements in quality of life of the people. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu also we have seen the downward growth of population resulting from a unique system of "mid-day meal" coupled with education. Studies about Andhra Pradesh also have different facets. These experiences should be taken and spread in big states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Beginning of agricultural prosperity through better yields in these States will help this process. (4) Information Technology - This is one of our core competence. We believe, this area can be used to promote education in remote areas and also to create national wealth. If you can find that you can book your railway tickets through the web in a secure and reliable way, you will not have to take the car or scooter and go to the railway station. Many day to day activities that require you to commute can be done electronically, even generating a new breed of workers- particularly in our Women - who telecommute. (5) Strategic sectors such as, nuclear technology, space technology and defence technology. Other areas like Advanced Sensors and Materials would need a push. The nation has a plan towards 70% near self-reliance in a decade in defence equipment. These five areas are closely inter-related and lead to national, food, economic and security.

Second Vision for the nation - implementation

I believe that the five mega-missions when integrated and implemented with a national focus, will result in actions which will shape the second vision of the nation. The necessary financial, managerial and human resources would flow from those whose minds are ignited, including those in the government and industrial sectors. A plan of action is essential at various levels from the political to government to common man. Each one can contribute to build the nation.

Self-reliance movement

I thought of sharing one experience with you especially because the country needs a change in the minds of the people. Certain people have a mindset that any system or product from cosmetics to car, television, defence equipment, communication equipment and for that matter any item that is of foreign origin is preferable. I can understand of import of these items if India does not want to make or does not have the capability to produce. We should also export what we make in large quantities or what we make out of our core competence. If India has to achieve the technological strength, self-reliance in Indian products and Indian systems have to grow in the minds of the people. This change of mind is indeed revolutionary. Women have been known world over as excellent and efficient change agents. I would request you particularly women scientists to propagate this revolutionary thought in Self-reliance in the homes, laboratories, industrial establishments and wherever you work. Finally, a self reliant nation should indeed be a mission for all of us and in this endeavour the role and contribution of women scientists in particular would be more effective.

Conclusion

India is a nation of a billion people. A nation's progress depends upon how its people think. It is thoughts which are transformed into actions. India has to think as a nation of a billion people. 'India has to transform into a developed nation before the year 2020. A billion people are our resource for this national transformation.' This event will inspire the nation. Let the young minds blossom - full of thoughts, the thoughts of prosperity.