May 28, 2005
President adress at THE SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OFZURICH
See, President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's address at THE SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY ZURICH.
A good presentation. He is marketing India very well outside India. !
Check this link, ---->>
find the snip of the link as below
26-05-2005 : Zurith
Technology and National Development
I am delighted to address the members of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich) at Zurich which is one of the world's leading institutions in technology. I greet the President and the Faculty members of ETH and also the Students and the distinguished guests. I congratulate ETH, while it is celebrating its 150th year.
Switzerland and India in Science
When I see your technological performance, I admire you for your sustained excellence for more than one and a half centuries, taking the challenges of the ups and downs in the world. (Tribute to famous scientists of Swiss, particularly Einstein) Particularly, it is inspiring to know that Switzerland had excelled in many scientific, technological and other fields. Switzerland is the home to some of the world famous scientists and Nobel Laureates. The role played by Switzerland and its scientists in shaping today's world of science and technology will make any citizen of Switzerland proud. It is clearly evident from the fact that 28 Nobel Laureates have been from
Switzerland and it had also attracted many other Nobel Laureates to come from other countries to work in Switzerland.
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, is one institution in our country India, which was established in 1909, which has a proud history of sustained excellence. IISc awards around 220 research conferment every year. IISc's alumni occupy very senior positions in many academic institutions world over. Sir CV Raman, a Nobel Laureate in Physics, Homi Bhaba, the father of the India's Nuclear Science programme, Prof. Vikram Sarabhai the father of Indian Space research programme have all been associated with Indian
Institute of Science. Prof. CNR Rao, a world renowned Chemist, who is making waves in the nano sciences currently is also a Professor at IISc. Prof K.R. Sreenivasan, an alumni of the Indian Institute of Science currently heads the International Centre For Theoretical Physics (ICTP) at Trieste, Italy.
India had also had her own share of excellent scientists of world repute even during the period of subjugation under the British rule for more than two centuries. I would like to recall the contributions of five of our scientists - two of them Nobel Laureates and another, a celebrated FRS. Their life, achievements and contributions with minimum of laboratory facilities and with very limited access to latest information are a saga on what dedication can achieve.
Scientific Scene in Pre-independent India
In India, science and technology took a two-phase
progress with the momentum created in 1930s, by the great scientists of international repute. They gave the country the confidence. We remember the pioneering contributions to science made by Chandrasekhar Subramaniam for his Chandrasekhar limit and black hole, Sir CV Raman for his discovery of the 'Raman effect', Srinivasa Ramanujan for his contributions towards number theory, JC Bose in the area of microwaves, S.N. Bose, famous for Bose-Einstein statistics and Meghnad Saha for 'Thermo-Ionization Equation'. This phase, I consider the glorious phase of Indian science. The scientific foundation laid by them triggered the later generations. The unique similarities of all these scientists are the one that they had dedicated their entire life for the cause of scientific research and the spirit of inquiry for the fields that they have chosen amidst all the hurdles and problems in their life. Science always gives life time missions to the scientists, and then only success comes. It is a question of dedication, commitment and understanding and also the environment for research in science, which gives birth to the scientists for the nation. They inspired many later generation scientists including GN Ramachandran, the originator of triple-helix.
Let me now discuss on how India had built the S&T base and drew the road map leading to national development using science and technologies particularly in the field of defence, space and atomic energy in the post independent era. The science and technology had also fed critical inputs to reaching self-sufficiency in food through the Green Revolution and milk production through the White revolution.
The post-independence phase of Indian science and technology
All of you know, in history, any country revolves itself initially around a few stout and earnest knowledge giants.
Particularly I took interest to study lives of three scientists, as I was interested in their scientific technological leadership qualities that focused the relationship of S&T and development of the nation. In the history of India, there may be many but I was very close to these three great personalities for one reason or the other. They are founders of three great institutions. I worked in two of the institutions directly and one in partnership. Dr DS Kothari, a Professor in Delhi University was an outstanding Physicist and also an Astrophysicist. He is well known for ionization of matter by pressure in cold compact objects like planets. This theory is complementary to thermal ionization work done by Dr Meghnad Saha his guru. Dr DS Kothari set a scientific tradition in Indian defence tasks when he became Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister in 1948; He created a Board of Advisors to the Scientific Advisor consisting of Dr. H.J. Bhaba, Dr. K.S. Krishnan and Dr. S.S. Bhatnagar. Later the Board was renamed as Scientific Advisory Board with enlarged membership.
He established the Defence Science Centre to do research in electronic material, nuclear medicine and ballistic science. He is considered as the architect of defence science in India. His race continued and followed up with momentum working and contributing in the areas of strategic systems, electronic warfare systems, armaments and life sciences.
Pioneer in Indian Nuclear science
Now, let me discuss about Homi Jehangir Bhabha . He did research in theoretical physics in Cambridge University. During 1930-1939, Homi Bhabha carried out research relating to cosmic radiation. In 1939, he joined Sir CV Raman in IISc Bangalore. Later, he was asked to start the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research with focus on nuclear science, mathematical science and established Atomic Energy
Commission in 1948. Multi centers were born with his vision in nuclear science to nuclear technology, nuclear power, nuclear devices and nuclear medicine. These science institutions established multi technological centers with basic science as a vital component.
Indian Space Visionary
Prof Vikram Sarabhai, the youngest of the three, worked with Sir CV Raman in experimental cosmic ray research. Prof Sarabhai established Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) Ahmedabad with Space research as focus. PRL was the cradle of Indian Space Programme. Prof Vikram Sarabhai unfurled the space mission for India in 1970 that we should build
Satellite Launch Vehicle capability, to put our communication satellites in the geo-synchronous orbit and remote sensing satellites 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 and development in multiple fields of science and space technology. Many of us had the fortune to be part of Prof. Vikram Sarabhai's vision. My team and myself participated in India's first satellite launch vehicle programme to put the satellite in the orbit. Today, India with her 20,000 scientific, technological and support staff in multiple space research centres, supported by about 300 industries and academic institutions, has the capability to build any type of satellite
launch vehicle to place remote sensing, communication and meteorology satellites in different orbits and space application has become part of our daily life. When I am with you I thought of sharing the India?s status in S&T, so that Switzerland and India can become partners in specific areas such as Nano Science and Nano Technology, Nuclear Research particularly applied to Energy, High energy physics and advanced computing.
ETH in the knowledge economy
When I look at the website of your great institute, I find that you work in the four important knowledge areas of the future.
1. Information science
2. Life science
3. Shaping of city and landscape -- living and cultural space in an increasingly urban and globalized world - ENVIORNMENT
4. Energy
You work with the commitment of Global approach with national roots much the same way the Indian knowledge economy is aiming to become ? Manufacture locally, Market Globally. With your all around excellence in computer assisted modeling and simulation, complex re-engineering, design and re-engineering, ETH have become the driving force behind the economic growth and industrialization of Switzerland in the knowledge economy.
Road map for Developed India
We in India have placed emphasis on science and technology to become a vehicle for national development. Using our vast S&T base as a foundation, we have a vision of transforming India into a developed nation by the year 2020. To achieve the vision of developed India, we have to simultaneously progress five areas where India has core
competence for integrated action: (1) Agriculture and food processing (2) Education and Healthcare (3) Information and Communication Technology (4) Infrastructure including Electric power, Networking of rivers,
Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) (5) Self reliance in identified critical technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and if progressed in a mission mode will lead to food security, economic prosperity, social welfare and national security.
The Mission of PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas)
The number of PURA units for the whole country is estimated to be 7000. This envisages integrated connectivities to bring prosperity to rural India. These are - physical connectivity of the village clusters through quality roads and transport; electronic connectivity through tele-communication with high bandwidth fiber optic cables reaching the rural areas from urban cities and through Internet kiosks; and knowledge connectivity through education, vocational training
for farmers, artisans and craftsmen and entrepreneurship programmes. These three connectives will lead to economic connectivity through starting of enterprises with the help of banks, micro credits and marketing of the products. Each PURA cluster will connect about 20 -30 villages depending upon the region and population and will cost about twenty million dollars. This is a viable and sustainable business proposition. After initial short-term employment during construction etc., we have to plan for initiating actions for providing regular employment and self employment opportunities in nationally competitive small enterprises in agro processing, manufacturing and services sectors for about 3000 people. If the industrial/business parks are marketed well, they can generate employment opportunities in support and services sector for about 10000 people. This will provide sustainable economy for the rural sector. In this national mission, bankers can promote entrepreneurship in the rural areas. This will lead to the removal of urban-rural divide.
PURA as an Enterprise
A large number of banks have entrepreneurial development programmes. Banks have also been funding Small Scale Industries of different types in various regions. The small scale industrialist is a promising candidate for becoming the chief executive for managing the PURA
complexes in an integrated way. PURA enterprises can also undertake management of schools, health care units, vocational training centres, chilling plants, silos and building a market, banking system and the regional business or industrial units. A new mission mode management style has to emerge for PURA enterprises. It should not be looking for protective legislations to support them. Rather they should be efficient to compete with others. This new PURA enterprise needs partnership from the bank, from the Government and also from the private entrepreneurs. The PURA model can be used in many developing countries and also developed countries in enriching human life.
Growth focus in the ICT Sector
In the last decade, the software industry had become one of the backbones of the economic development in India. Today the software industry in India is nearly 28 billion dollars ($18 Billion Export and $10 Billion Domestic Market) contributing to nearly 24% of nation's exports. This is through IT Services and ITES-BPO Sector, which accounts for around 3.5% of the global market. India?s core competence is in the area of IT services, IT Enabled Services (ITES) - Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO). The world business volume in these two sectors alone accounts for $ 850 billion. India plans to have a minimum of 15% of the Global business volume. The market share of the Indian Software industry in IT Services, ITES, and
BPO is projected to be around 200 billion dollars by 2008.
Our university system is contributing over 3 million graduates every year. This is a vital resource needed for growth in the IT Services, ITES and BPO. India aims at increasing the knowledge pool to 5 million youth by the year 2008, which will enhance the existing efficiency by a factor of two.
Indian technologies
When I addressed the nation during the Technology day, 2004, I took it upon my self to bring to the notice of public, some of the challenges in technology that India successfully overcame. For brevity, I have discussed seven technological achievements which have the potential to penetrate into our economy and assist the transformation of our society. Some of them are: Electricity Generation from Municipal Waste; A Brand in Automobile Technology; Fast Breeder Reactor and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) crossing the Sonic Barrier.
Electricity Generation from Municipal Waste
Increased urbanization, have led to a serious problem of accumulation of municipal solid waste. Efficient and environmentally clean disposal of garbage has always been a major technological challenge. While being a threat to the environment, mounting garbage is also a rich source of energy. The potential for converting this waste into useable energy, which will eliminate a major source of urban pollution, was realized by one of our innovative organizations- Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council of Department of Science and Technology which helped in developing a completely indigenous solution for the processing of waste into a source of fuel. This fuel could, in turn, be used for generation of electricity through mini plants. Two entrepreneurs in Andhra Pradesh adopted the technology with refinement and established two independent plants in Hyderabad and Vijayawada generating over 12 megawatts of electricity, which is being supplied to the State Grid.
A Brand in Automobile Technology
It was the dream of our nation, to have a car designed, developed and manufactured by us, being driven in the roads of world capitals. But for many years, we have been producing automobiles using imported technologies or under licensed manufacture. Now a new situation has emerged for the last 3 years in the country with the industrial commitment of TATA Engineers, workers, managers and partner industries who have made a seminal national contribution in the form of a car 'Indica', a brand of automobile technology. It has not only attracted the Indian car lovers but it has got a demand in the western market too. For the first time, in Indian technological history a four-wheeler automobile has been designed,
developed, manufactured and exported. This Indian export will pave the way for Indian automobile industry to become internationally competitive and give birth to a multinational business.
Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR)
When I think of energy security through non-conventional sources in the country, I am reminded of Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha, who gave a vision of three-phase programme of nuclear power to ensure energy security. The first phase of this programme led to the maturity in building pressurized heavy water reactors in the country. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was the visionary, who recognized early in the 1970?s, the need for developing Fast Breeder Reactor, which can achieve a power capacity of five hundred thousand mega watts. The Fast Breeder Reactor generates more nuclear fuel than it consumes due to gainful conversion of fertile isotopes like U238 and Th232 into Pu239 and U233 respectively. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai also understood the complexity of FBRs and drew a road map for inter disciplinary research in reactor engineering, materials, chemistry, reprocessing safety, instrumentation and other allied disciplines at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research. The experiences in construction, commissioning and satisfactory operation of the Fast Breeder Test Reactor have demonstrated the mastering of the multi-disciplinary technology for energy production. It has also created a pool of specialists in various disciplines related to complex technology of fast breeder reactor.
With this experience, a Fast Breeder Reactor of 500 MW capacity has been designed and structural integrity demonstrated using a simulation model. A pilot plant scale reprocessing facility has also been commissioned and reprocessing of FBTR fuel has commenced successfully. Two peer expert groups have reviewed the final design of FBR 500. This has provided a proof of Indian design capability. Based on this confidence a project has been sanctioned to the Department of Atomic Energy for setting up of the first FBR by a newly formed company called Bhavini at a cost of Rs. 3500 crores by 2010.
Light Combat Aircraft
India has designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft.
The three LCA aircraft are now flying. The have crossed the sonic barrier and have been flying at supersonic speeds. Light Combat Aircraft named as TEJAS will go to user soon. TEJAS is the smallest lightweight aircraft, highly maneuverable with maximum composite structure; with low radar cross section area and above all it will be globally competitive. How did we achieve this? We formed the national teams for composite wings and for the flight control systems. With time bound mission mode project management system, experts drawn from multiple organizations positioned as one single development team, we have achieved a remarkable development success.
Science is universal
With the advances in Information technology, the world has shrunk to be a global village and networking of scientists is necessary to solve complex real world problems. In the fourth century BC, India was a preferred destination for more than 64 countries for learning and research in science and philosophy. But today the scientist movement in India is from east to west. Of late, we have started seeing the trend of visits by scientists from the developed nations to India. This of course is the recognition of the caliber of the Indian scientists and some of the state-of-the-art facilities that we have created. Besides world class equipments in many areas of science, we have also felt a national initiative in building some of the finest super computers. The country's scientists have also been sensitive to the changes that have been taking place in the area of networking and hence have been focusing on renewed and intense research and development efforts in the area of cluster computing and Grid computing. In the top 500 super computers in the world, India had started to have a few new entries.
India has built several clusters in the university
environment and in the research laboratories. These computers have computing power comparable to those available in the best of the US universities. These have become added attractions for scientists from the west to come and collaborate with their counterparts in India.
India's Grid computing initiative has made a modest beginning with several of the computer centres in the country being connected by a 100 mbps link which will soon be upgraded to gigabit connectivity. The universities in India have developed high quality middleware and application software for the Grid. The Software is indeed the core-competence of our nation.
While I congratulate the students of ETH, Zurich, I would really wish that all of you to promote the connectivity for close collaboration between ETH and the Indian R&D Labs and Universities. The world's problems are so complex. Hence it needs sincere and dedicated collaborations to make science economically viable and intellectually challenging. Let us work together to make this world a better place to live.
Conclusion
I would like to share with you my experience in meeting with students from all over the world, after becoming the President of India. So far, I have met with more than 600,000 students. I find that the dreams of the students are the same irrespective which country they belong to. All the students want to lead a peaceful, happy, prosperous and safe life. The tradition of Switzerland is to maintain its very strong neutrality and peace loving nature. It is indeed the world's role model and fits the dream of the students of the world. India with her civilizational heritage is a natural partner for Switzerland, to further the cause of the mankind. It is inspiring to know that ETH is reaching out to the secondary schools, general public, political, economic and scientific circles and its own community and other stake holders to showcase the S&T that formed an integral part of ETH in its sesquicentennial year. I congratulate once again the students and the faculty of ETH and I wish you that your institute continues to grow and maintain your preeminence in the world of science and technology for many centuries to come.
My best wishes.
Previous->>
TECHNOLOGY ZURICH.
A good presentation. He is marketing India very well outside India. !
Check this link, ---->>
find the snip of the link as below
26-05-2005 : Zurith
Technology and National Development
I am delighted to address the members of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich) at Zurich which is one of the world's leading institutions in technology. I greet the President and the Faculty members of ETH and also the Students and the distinguished guests. I congratulate ETH, while it is celebrating its 150th year.
Switzerland and India in Science
When I see your technological performance, I admire you for your sustained excellence for more than one and a half centuries, taking the challenges of the ups and downs in the world. (Tribute to famous scientists of Swiss, particularly Einstein) Particularly, it is inspiring to know that Switzerland had excelled in many scientific, technological and other fields. Switzerland is the home to some of the world famous scientists and Nobel Laureates. The role played by Switzerland and its scientists in shaping today's world of science and technology will make any citizen of Switzerland proud. It is clearly evident from the fact that 28 Nobel Laureates have been from
Switzerland and it had also attracted many other Nobel Laureates to come from other countries to work in Switzerland.
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, is one institution in our country India, which was established in 1909, which has a proud history of sustained excellence. IISc awards around 220 research conferment every year. IISc's alumni occupy very senior positions in many academic institutions world over. Sir CV Raman, a Nobel Laureate in Physics, Homi Bhaba, the father of the India's Nuclear Science programme, Prof. Vikram Sarabhai the father of Indian Space research programme have all been associated with Indian
Institute of Science. Prof. CNR Rao, a world renowned Chemist, who is making waves in the nano sciences currently is also a Professor at IISc. Prof K.R. Sreenivasan, an alumni of the Indian Institute of Science currently heads the International Centre For Theoretical Physics (ICTP) at Trieste, Italy.
India had also had her own share of excellent scientists of world repute even during the period of subjugation under the British rule for more than two centuries. I would like to recall the contributions of five of our scientists - two of them Nobel Laureates and another, a celebrated FRS. Their life, achievements and contributions with minimum of laboratory facilities and with very limited access to latest information are a saga on what dedication can achieve.
Scientific Scene in Pre-independent India
In India, science and technology took a two-phase
progress with the momentum created in 1930s, by the great scientists of international repute. They gave the country the confidence. We remember the pioneering contributions to science made by Chandrasekhar Subramaniam for his Chandrasekhar limit and black hole, Sir CV Raman for his discovery of the 'Raman effect', Srinivasa Ramanujan for his contributions towards number theory, JC Bose in the area of microwaves, S.N. Bose, famous for Bose-Einstein statistics and Meghnad Saha for 'Thermo-Ionization Equation'. This phase, I consider the glorious phase of Indian science. The scientific foundation laid by them triggered the later generations. The unique similarities of all these scientists are the one that they had dedicated their entire life for the cause of scientific research and the spirit of inquiry for the fields that they have chosen amidst all the hurdles and problems in their life. Science always gives life time missions to the scientists, and then only success comes. It is a question of dedication, commitment and understanding and also the environment for research in science, which gives birth to the scientists for the nation. They inspired many later generation scientists including GN Ramachandran, the originator of triple-helix.
Let me now discuss on how India had built the S&T base and drew the road map leading to national development using science and technologies particularly in the field of defence, space and atomic energy in the post independent era. The science and technology had also fed critical inputs to reaching self-sufficiency in food through the Green Revolution and milk production through the White revolution.
The post-independence phase of Indian science and technology
All of you know, in history, any country revolves itself initially around a few stout and earnest knowledge giants.
Particularly I took interest to study lives of three scientists, as I was interested in their scientific technological leadership qualities that focused the relationship of S&T and development of the nation. In the history of India, there may be many but I was very close to these three great personalities for one reason or the other. They are founders of three great institutions. I worked in two of the institutions directly and one in partnership. Dr DS Kothari, a Professor in Delhi University was an outstanding Physicist and also an Astrophysicist. He is well known for ionization of matter by pressure in cold compact objects like planets. This theory is complementary to thermal ionization work done by Dr Meghnad Saha his guru. Dr DS Kothari set a scientific tradition in Indian defence tasks when he became Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister in 1948; He created a Board of Advisors to the Scientific Advisor consisting of Dr. H.J. Bhaba, Dr. K.S. Krishnan and Dr. S.S. Bhatnagar. Later the Board was renamed as Scientific Advisory Board with enlarged membership.
He established the Defence Science Centre to do research in electronic material, nuclear medicine and ballistic science. He is considered as the architect of defence science in India. His race continued and followed up with momentum working and contributing in the areas of strategic systems, electronic warfare systems, armaments and life sciences.
Pioneer in Indian Nuclear science
Now, let me discuss about Homi Jehangir Bhabha . He did research in theoretical physics in Cambridge University. During 1930-1939, Homi Bhabha carried out research relating to cosmic radiation. In 1939, he joined Sir CV Raman in IISc Bangalore. Later, he was asked to start the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research with focus on nuclear science, mathematical science and established Atomic Energy
Commission in 1948. Multi centers were born with his vision in nuclear science to nuclear technology, nuclear power, nuclear devices and nuclear medicine. These science institutions established multi technological centers with basic science as a vital component.
Indian Space Visionary
Prof Vikram Sarabhai, the youngest of the three, worked with Sir CV Raman in experimental cosmic ray research. Prof Sarabhai established Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) Ahmedabad with Space research as focus. PRL was the cradle of Indian Space Programme. Prof Vikram Sarabhai unfurled the space mission for India in 1970 that we should build
Satellite Launch Vehicle capability, to put our communication satellites in the geo-synchronous orbit and remote sensing satellites 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 and development in multiple fields of science and space technology. Many of us had the fortune to be part of Prof. Vikram Sarabhai's vision. My team and myself participated in India's first satellite launch vehicle programme to put the satellite in the orbit. Today, India with her 20,000 scientific, technological and support staff in multiple space research centres, supported by about 300 industries and academic institutions, has the capability to build any type of satellite
launch vehicle to place remote sensing, communication and meteorology satellites in different orbits and space application has become part of our daily life. When I am with you I thought of sharing the India?s status in S&T, so that Switzerland and India can become partners in specific areas such as Nano Science and Nano Technology, Nuclear Research particularly applied to Energy, High energy physics and advanced computing.
ETH in the knowledge economy
When I look at the website of your great institute, I find that you work in the four important knowledge areas of the future.
1. Information science
2. Life science
3. Shaping of city and landscape -- living and cultural space in an increasingly urban and globalized world - ENVIORNMENT
4. Energy
You work with the commitment of Global approach with national roots much the same way the Indian knowledge economy is aiming to become ? Manufacture locally, Market Globally. With your all around excellence in computer assisted modeling and simulation, complex re-engineering, design and re-engineering, ETH have become the driving force behind the economic growth and industrialization of Switzerland in the knowledge economy.
Road map for Developed India
We in India have placed emphasis on science and technology to become a vehicle for national development. Using our vast S&T base as a foundation, we have a vision of transforming India into a developed nation by the year 2020. To achieve the vision of developed India, we have to simultaneously progress five areas where India has core
competence for integrated action: (1) Agriculture and food processing (2) Education and Healthcare (3) Information and Communication Technology (4) Infrastructure including Electric power, Networking of rivers,
Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) (5) Self reliance in identified critical technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and if progressed in a mission mode will lead to food security, economic prosperity, social welfare and national security.
The Mission of PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas)
The number of PURA units for the whole country is estimated to be 7000. This envisages integrated connectivities to bring prosperity to rural India. These are - physical connectivity of the village clusters through quality roads and transport; electronic connectivity through tele-communication with high bandwidth fiber optic cables reaching the rural areas from urban cities and through Internet kiosks; and knowledge connectivity through education, vocational training
for farmers, artisans and craftsmen and entrepreneurship programmes. These three connectives will lead to economic connectivity through starting of enterprises with the help of banks, micro credits and marketing of the products. Each PURA cluster will connect about 20 -30 villages depending upon the region and population and will cost about twenty million dollars. This is a viable and sustainable business proposition. After initial short-term employment during construction etc., we have to plan for initiating actions for providing regular employment and self employment opportunities in nationally competitive small enterprises in agro processing, manufacturing and services sectors for about 3000 people. If the industrial/business parks are marketed well, they can generate employment opportunities in support and services sector for about 10000 people. This will provide sustainable economy for the rural sector. In this national mission, bankers can promote entrepreneurship in the rural areas. This will lead to the removal of urban-rural divide.
PURA as an Enterprise
A large number of banks have entrepreneurial development programmes. Banks have also been funding Small Scale Industries of different types in various regions. The small scale industrialist is a promising candidate for becoming the chief executive for managing the PURA
complexes in an integrated way. PURA enterprises can also undertake management of schools, health care units, vocational training centres, chilling plants, silos and building a market, banking system and the regional business or industrial units. A new mission mode management style has to emerge for PURA enterprises. It should not be looking for protective legislations to support them. Rather they should be efficient to compete with others. This new PURA enterprise needs partnership from the bank, from the Government and also from the private entrepreneurs. The PURA model can be used in many developing countries and also developed countries in enriching human life.
Growth focus in the ICT Sector
In the last decade, the software industry had become one of the backbones of the economic development in India. Today the software industry in India is nearly 28 billion dollars ($18 Billion Export and $10 Billion Domestic Market) contributing to nearly 24% of nation's exports. This is through IT Services and ITES-BPO Sector, which accounts for around 3.5% of the global market. India?s core competence is in the area of IT services, IT Enabled Services (ITES) - Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO). The world business volume in these two sectors alone accounts for $ 850 billion. India plans to have a minimum of 15% of the Global business volume. The market share of the Indian Software industry in IT Services, ITES, and
BPO is projected to be around 200 billion dollars by 2008.
Our university system is contributing over 3 million graduates every year. This is a vital resource needed for growth in the IT Services, ITES and BPO. India aims at increasing the knowledge pool to 5 million youth by the year 2008, which will enhance the existing efficiency by a factor of two.
Indian technologies
When I addressed the nation during the Technology day, 2004, I took it upon my self to bring to the notice of public, some of the challenges in technology that India successfully overcame. For brevity, I have discussed seven technological achievements which have the potential to penetrate into our economy and assist the transformation of our society. Some of them are: Electricity Generation from Municipal Waste; A Brand in Automobile Technology; Fast Breeder Reactor and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) crossing the Sonic Barrier.
Electricity Generation from Municipal Waste
Increased urbanization, have led to a serious problem of accumulation of municipal solid waste. Efficient and environmentally clean disposal of garbage has always been a major technological challenge. While being a threat to the environment, mounting garbage is also a rich source of energy. The potential for converting this waste into useable energy, which will eliminate a major source of urban pollution, was realized by one of our innovative organizations- Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council of Department of Science and Technology which helped in developing a completely indigenous solution for the processing of waste into a source of fuel. This fuel could, in turn, be used for generation of electricity through mini plants. Two entrepreneurs in Andhra Pradesh adopted the technology with refinement and established two independent plants in Hyderabad and Vijayawada generating over 12 megawatts of electricity, which is being supplied to the State Grid.
A Brand in Automobile Technology
It was the dream of our nation, to have a car designed, developed and manufactured by us, being driven in the roads of world capitals. But for many years, we have been producing automobiles using imported technologies or under licensed manufacture. Now a new situation has emerged for the last 3 years in the country with the industrial commitment of TATA Engineers, workers, managers and partner industries who have made a seminal national contribution in the form of a car 'Indica', a brand of automobile technology. It has not only attracted the Indian car lovers but it has got a demand in the western market too. For the first time, in Indian technological history a four-wheeler automobile has been designed,
developed, manufactured and exported. This Indian export will pave the way for Indian automobile industry to become internationally competitive and give birth to a multinational business.
Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR)
When I think of energy security through non-conventional sources in the country, I am reminded of Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha, who gave a vision of three-phase programme of nuclear power to ensure energy security. The first phase of this programme led to the maturity in building pressurized heavy water reactors in the country. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was the visionary, who recognized early in the 1970?s, the need for developing Fast Breeder Reactor, which can achieve a power capacity of five hundred thousand mega watts. The Fast Breeder Reactor generates more nuclear fuel than it consumes due to gainful conversion of fertile isotopes like U238 and Th232 into Pu239 and U233 respectively. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai also understood the complexity of FBRs and drew a road map for inter disciplinary research in reactor engineering, materials, chemistry, reprocessing safety, instrumentation and other allied disciplines at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research. The experiences in construction, commissioning and satisfactory operation of the Fast Breeder Test Reactor have demonstrated the mastering of the multi-disciplinary technology for energy production. It has also created a pool of specialists in various disciplines related to complex technology of fast breeder reactor.
With this experience, a Fast Breeder Reactor of 500 MW capacity has been designed and structural integrity demonstrated using a simulation model. A pilot plant scale reprocessing facility has also been commissioned and reprocessing of FBTR fuel has commenced successfully. Two peer expert groups have reviewed the final design of FBR 500. This has provided a proof of Indian design capability. Based on this confidence a project has been sanctioned to the Department of Atomic Energy for setting up of the first FBR by a newly formed company called Bhavini at a cost of Rs. 3500 crores by 2010.
Light Combat Aircraft
India has designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft.
The three LCA aircraft are now flying. The have crossed the sonic barrier and have been flying at supersonic speeds. Light Combat Aircraft named as TEJAS will go to user soon. TEJAS is the smallest lightweight aircraft, highly maneuverable with maximum composite structure; with low radar cross section area and above all it will be globally competitive. How did we achieve this? We formed the national teams for composite wings and for the flight control systems. With time bound mission mode project management system, experts drawn from multiple organizations positioned as one single development team, we have achieved a remarkable development success.
Science is universal
With the advances in Information technology, the world has shrunk to be a global village and networking of scientists is necessary to solve complex real world problems. In the fourth century BC, India was a preferred destination for more than 64 countries for learning and research in science and philosophy. But today the scientist movement in India is from east to west. Of late, we have started seeing the trend of visits by scientists from the developed nations to India. This of course is the recognition of the caliber of the Indian scientists and some of the state-of-the-art facilities that we have created. Besides world class equipments in many areas of science, we have also felt a national initiative in building some of the finest super computers. The country's scientists have also been sensitive to the changes that have been taking place in the area of networking and hence have been focusing on renewed and intense research and development efforts in the area of cluster computing and Grid computing. In the top 500 super computers in the world, India had started to have a few new entries.
India has built several clusters in the university
environment and in the research laboratories. These computers have computing power comparable to those available in the best of the US universities. These have become added attractions for scientists from the west to come and collaborate with their counterparts in India.
India's Grid computing initiative has made a modest beginning with several of the computer centres in the country being connected by a 100 mbps link which will soon be upgraded to gigabit connectivity. The universities in India have developed high quality middleware and application software for the Grid. The Software is indeed the core-competence of our nation.
While I congratulate the students of ETH, Zurich, I would really wish that all of you to promote the connectivity for close collaboration between ETH and the Indian R&D Labs and Universities. The world's problems are so complex. Hence it needs sincere and dedicated collaborations to make science economically viable and intellectually challenging. Let us work together to make this world a better place to live.
Conclusion
I would like to share with you my experience in meeting with students from all over the world, after becoming the President of India. So far, I have met with more than 600,000 students. I find that the dreams of the students are the same irrespective which country they belong to. All the students want to lead a peaceful, happy, prosperous and safe life. The tradition of Switzerland is to maintain its very strong neutrality and peace loving nature. It is indeed the world's role model and fits the dream of the students of the world. India with her civilizational heritage is a natural partner for Switzerland, to further the cause of the mankind. It is inspiring to know that ETH is reaching out to the secondary schools, general public, political, economic and scientific circles and its own community and other stake holders to showcase the S&T that formed an integral part of ETH in its sesquicentennial year. I congratulate once again the students and the faculty of ETH and I wish you that your institute continues to grow and maintain your preeminence in the world of science and technology for many centuries to come.
My best wishes.
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