Abdul Kalam In Hindustan College
Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam handing over a trophy to a university rank holder at the Hindusthan College of Arts and Science in the city on Thursday. Chairman T.S.R. Khannaiyann (left), and Secretary Sarasuwathi Khannaiyann (second left), Hindusthan Educational Institutions, are in the picture. Listing out a 10-point agenda that India should work on for making ‘India 2020’ a reality, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said that he would lead the ‘India 2020’ movement to its fruition. He was speaking at a function organised at the Hindusthan College of Arts and Science to felicitate the university rank holders of Hindusthan Educational Institutions here on Thursday. Mr. Kalam called for narrowing the socio-economic divide between rural and urban India, water, electricity and medical facility for all, eradication of poverty and equal status for women.
“Agriculture, industry and service sectors should take the people forward. The country should provide an ideal ambience for scientists, intellectuals and industrialists to work in. It should become a peaceful, clean, hygienic and corruption-free society and should be governed by incorruptible leaders. All these will help transform India into a developed country and will help realise the dream of ‘India 2020’, Mr. Kalam said. He called for rejuvenation in agriculture through value-addition. There were many opportunities for youth to try their hand at entrepreneurship through the Providing Urban Amenities for Rural Areas (PURA) project, he said. He emphasised that agricultural scientists and farmers should work hand in hand to implement scientific methods of cultivation.
“At present, India’s food grain production is 230 million tonnes which is just enough for the today’s population. We do not have to import. But, by 2020 our need will increase and we will have to produce 350 million tonnes,” he said. He urged the students to do well in their studies and develop the habit of reading. He made them take an oath that they would set up a home library starting with 20 books and also sought the help of the parents gathered to help their wards in expanding the library from 20 to 200 and ultimately 2,000 books.
He also made them promise that they would spend an hour reading everyday. Mr. Kalam gave away certificates, medals and trophies to university rank holders of the various institutions of the Hindusthan Group. T.S.R. Khannaiyann, Chairman, and Sarasuwathi Khannaiyann, Secretary, Hindusthan Educational Institutions, spoke.
