Former President APJ Abdul Kalam has said that if a growth rate of eight to nine per cent is achieved in the next eight years, then nation will be able to rise to her expectations. He was speaking after accepting the Chavara Samskruthy Puraskar 2012 at the Sacred Heart College on Thursday.
“In spite of the setback in the economy, India will rise to the occasion. With at least 600 million youth at the helm, the country will register a huge growth by 2020 and will also reach its position as a developed country,” he said.
When Vision 2020 was first formulated, the GDP growth was expected to be 10 per cent.
However, owing to the slow rate of growth of the economy, the expected GDP could not be registered, Kalam added. Speaking on nuclear technology and missile development in India, he told the students here that manufacturing missiles for self-defence is acceptable.
“We stand for peace but the move is for our self-defence,” he reiterated, adding that the extend of research in India is far behind that of the developed nations.
“With the given human capital of our nation, the research would have reached heights. However, the lack of funding for research and analysis has posed to be a huge setback. But on the brighter side, the 12th Five-Year Plan has given focus to research activities and hopefully, we will grow,” Kalam said, answering the query of a student on India’s research potential. “The National Innovation Foundation website showcases at least 300 to 400 innovations at the grass-root level. We need to encourage it,” he said.
IT export, cost-effective pharmaceutical industry and small-scale industries also contribute a lot to the effective development of the country. “Economic, spiritual and educational growth are of utmost importance for the progress of society as a whole,” he added.
Reminiscing his school days, he encouraged the students to develop a strong rapport between the teachers. “The teacher-student relationship is of paramount importance for individual growth,” he said
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