Interaction With Teachers

ADDRESS

I am indeed delighted to address the school teachers who are in the noble profession of creating responsible citizens for our future India. Our children will have to become the builders of a Developed India powered by economic strength with value system. Teachers, particularly school teachers has got tremendous responsibility in shaping the life structure of an individual. Childhood is the foundation stone upon which stands the whole life structure. The seed sown in childhood blossoms into the tree of life. The education which is imparted in the childhood is more important than the education received in colleges and universities. In the process of human growth, proper guidance along with environmental learning is important. Learning gives creativity. Creativity leads to thinking. Thinking provides knowledge. Only knowledge will make us great.

I have interacted with more than 2,00,000 school children across the length and breadth of the nation. Wherever I went, be it Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka or any other part of India, the voice of the youth is unique and strong in articulating their vision and dream. Everyone dreams of living in a prosperous India, a happy India and a peaceful India. The combination of prosperity, happiness and peace to a nation always come together. When all three of them converge on to India, then India truly be a Developed Nation. Today I am going to talk to you about how India can be transformed into a Developed Nation. There are more than 300 million children in India. When I address this teachers gathering, I understand that I am interacting with only a very small speck of ocean of the entire school teachers community on whose shoulders the future of India, the 300 million children rests. I am sure that you can ignite the minds of other teachers in addition to you students by lighting the fire, by becoming a burning candle to light another candle. Children work in the school for about 25000 hours before they complete 12th std. Within the school curriculum / school hours, I want them to contribute to the Mission of Developed India by involving in the student centric activities like Literacy Development, Eco-Care Movement. It is in you hands to enlighten them and orient them towards our national mission of becoming a developed country by the year 2020.

Teachers are normally attracted towards the best performing few students and they continuously encourage them to succeed further. One of the most important role of a teachers is to concentrate and facilitate better understanding and learning for the students who are weak in the subjects. He is the real Guru.

Significance of the name of Ambedkar - in the full name Dr. Bhimrao - Ambedkar , Ambedkar is a bramin teacher - Bhimrao was an untouchable - the teacher ambedkar during secondarty education period took care of so much of the student - Bhim rao - shared his lunch with him - gave him knowledge continuosly - bhim rao when he became parister - to remember his teacher he changed his name as Bhimrao Ambedkar.

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. India is a missile power. 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.

Next 50 years in Human Life

People's life will be enriched by IT driven knowledge products and systems, bio technology and space technology. As a Future Revolution ,it is predicted that the humanity will see, human habitant in one of the planets, space solar power radiating to earth electrical power. Also reusable hypersonic vehicles, with the speed of more than Mach Number 10 will fly intercontinental and also will be used for weapon delivery. Human life will be further extended for the reasons of genomic & biotechnology research outcomes. The Nano technology will enter into human usage like the control systems of various transporting systems, medical technology equipments and aerospace systems. Now let us study the evolution of various human societies linked to multiple technologies.

Economic growth in different societies

During the last century the world has undergone a change from agriculture society, where manual labour was the critical factor, to industrial society where the management of technology, capital and labour provided the competitive advantage. Then the information era was born, last decade, where connectivity and software products are driving the economy of a few nations. In the 21st century, a new society is emerging where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. Efficient utilisation of this existing knowledge can create comprehensive wealth of the nation and also improve the quality of life - in the form of better health, education, infrastructure and other social indicators. Ability to create and maintain the knowledge infrastructure, develop knowledge workers and enhance their productivity through creation, growth and exploitation of new knowledge will be the key factors in deciding the prosperity of this Knowledge Society. Whether a nation has arrived at a stage of knowledge society is judged by the way the country effectively deals with knowledge creation and knowledge deployment in all sectors like IT, Industries, Agriculture, Health Care etc.,

Changes in employment, agriculture, Industry and Service - Knowledge Industries

In 1980, agriculture areas employed in parts or in full 76% of people of the country and it reduced to 65% in 1994 and expected to further fall to 60% of people in agriculture by 2012. Whereas, the demand of agricultural products will double in quantity, productivity using technology and post harvest management will have to compensate the manpower reduction in farming and agricultural products sector. In the case of industry, in 1980, 13% of the population was employed in small scale and large scale industries. The trend continued during 1994. However, it has to increase in 2010, as the GDP growth with high technology in the situation of opening up of the economy under WTO region. The pattern of employment will take a new shape. Service with knowledge industry component from 11% employability in 1980 has increased to 20% in 1994. And further it will increase to 54% in 2012 in view of infrastructure, maintenance areas, financial sector, IT sector and entertainment demands. This big change will demand in all areas more trained skilled human power and technology personnel. Our industrialists, commercial chiefs and technologists may have to get ready for such transformation in agriculture, industries and service - knowledge industries for which human manpower with knowledge and skills has to be evolved in a mission mode. And also evolution of knowledge management has been presented linking vision for the nation.

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.

TECHNOLOGY VISION 2020

A developed country, in my opinion, is one which has the capability and the capacity to comprehensively look at wealth generation and wealth protection and thereafter evolve integrated strategies, technologies and missions to meet these objectives. It is also a fact that technology is the established currency of geo-political power and in the Indian context, technology has to be the driving force for economical development and national security. Recognizing this and with the help of two different streams of national experts, one by TIFAC, an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology and another by Department of Defence Research & Development, involving few hundred man-years of combined efforts, two types of document emerged. These were Technology Vision 2020 in 17 volumes and Integrated Strategies, Technologies and Missions for Comprehensive National Security. These two documents addressed the wealth generation and wealth protection aspects in a very comprehensive manner and identified technology as the linking factor. The fusion of these two documents has resulted in the India Millennium Missions 2020 (IMM 2020), which provides an excellent framework and road-map for making a strong and developed India by the year 2020. IMM2020 needs Integrated actions.

The outstanding developmental efforts mounted in the country in the last four decades at various levels have resulted in a very definite demographic transition in many States. The current single-digit death rate in some of the States is comparable to many European countries and it is getting stabilised at 8 per 1000 people per year. The current birth rate is around 25-30 per thousand per year, particularly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, resulting in a national population increase of 17 per thousand per year. The implementation of Integrated Technology Missions will surely transform India into a developed nation by year 2020 resulting stabilised and healthy population.

These are broadly tropical diseases, water-borne infections, infectious diseases and nutrition related disorders. There is an urgent need of unified approach to the planning of healthcare delivery in our country. Besides traditional medical education and research programmes, the emphasis must be made on polyclinic level training programmes in clinical technologies. Indigenisation of costly diagnostic and curative equipment to make them cost effective and establishment of a nation wide maintenance mechanism of medical equipment using indigenous skills and spares is equally important. The cost of drugs will have to be brought down by scientifically developing herbal formulations and validating their effectiveness through clinical database in addition to allopathic route. You will with your efforts can integrate technology with healthcare taking results to every corner of rural India. Similarly we can see the current status, core technological requirements and the vision2020 for the areas of service sector and electronics, IT and sensors.

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.

Bird Story

You know how birds fly? Our teacher in Class-V, way back in 1940, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer, a great human being, taught us science and many subjects. One day he was teaching us how birds fly. The importance of shape of the bird, how it flaps its wings to create lift, then how it gains momentum. The tail gives it direction. He taught well, but somehow, we could not visualize how birds fly. Then I remember, it was 3.30 pm, in Rameswaram island, he took us to the sea shore of our island. And there, at sunset, we saw the sea birds, fly. We watched them flap their wings, then stop as they assumed momentum. Change the direction with tail movement. That day, I knew this is what I would do. I would study the flight of science. My teacher, his life and his way of teaching showed me the way. In that class I decided my mission. Do you ask questions in class? Do your teachers let you ask wild questions? Yes? Some teachers you can ask anything, others you can't isn't it.?

While classroom learning is important, what the child learns by self-observation outside the classroom is equally important. A child must become an active participant in the process of learning through observation, field studies, experiments and discussions. A child's individuality and creativity needs to be given due importance in our education. Further, in addition to innovation in curriculum, priority needs to be given to the reorientation of the outlook of the teachers and overhauling of the examination system so that it recognises and evaluates creativity and new thinking rather than memorization of facts. The schools must move from becoming educational centers to knowledge and skill centers.

Conclusion

There is a national mission for universal primary education by 2010. Good teachers and parents select the schools for high academic standards, focus on teaching and learning, education philosophy with value system close to their own and above all innovative approaches in instruction. Of course, schools are sought where students are challenged to achieve higher levels.

In conclusion, the teachers have a great mission to ignite the minds of the young. The ignited minds of the young are the most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and under the earth. That makes me recall the saintly saying of Maha Rishi Patanjali in Yoga SUTHRAS: "When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties, and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be".

I wish you all the teachers success in giving the nation empowered, learned young with integrity. It is indeed a big mission. God bless you.