[India] People below poverty line must progress: Kalam

From The Hindu

Alappuzha, July 30 (UNI): President A P J Kalam on Friday suggested agriculture, information technology, education, infrastructure and space programme as the key areas to change the fortunes of 260 million people below poverty line.

"Unless they achieve progress in the sectors of education, health and ecomonic growth, there cannot be progress for the country. All children dream to live in a happy, safe and prosperous India, but for that these 260 million people should be uplifted," the President said.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the centenary memorial building of the Sanathana Dharma Vidyalaya here where he reached two hours behind schedule due to inclement weather.

"Our present GDP growth is six per cent. If we can sustain the growth rate of 10 per cent for a decade, we can bring them above poverty line," he said while presenting his five-point agenda.

The agenda included strides in agriculture and food processing, education and health care, information technology, infrastructure development and self-reliance in critical technology.

Dr Kalam said the country had seen three revolutions to take it to the present status. They were Green revolution, the space programme and the recent success in information technology achieved through young entrepreneurs.

The President noted that there was vast scope for agriculture and food-processing sector. He called for achieving greater heights in education, specially that of women, and health care.

Hailing the Edusat programme he launched in Thiruvananthapuram as a most modern tool to disseminate education, he wanted more stress on tele-medicine, e-governance and tele-education.