Strive for Rural Prosperity, Kalam tells Ravenshaw University students.

Suman Mohanty,The Pioneer,Cuttack

The Ravenshaw University should work for bringing rural prosperity through the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Area (PURA) in Cuttack and its vicinity covering about 20 villages with a population of 50,000, said former President APJ Abdul Kalam while delivering his address as the chief guest at the first convocation of the Ravenshaw University here on Saturday.
He said that in order to bring economic prosperity in villages, infrastructural development is a must. This can be achieved only through the mission of PURA. In this context, educational institutions have a greater role to play. He cited how the lives of nearly 1 lakh people got transformed through proper implementation of PURA by the Periyar Maniammal Engineering College of Tamil Nadu. The Ravenshaw University can do the same in Cuttack district, he said.
Envisioning his ideas on a prosperous nation in the year 2020, Dr Kalam said university education should not only provide value-based quality education but should be restructured so as to make it an effective instrument for socio-economic transformation of the nation, said. He was referring to the Mission of Education- Capacity Building.
He said that here is a time when the country is witnessing a continuous rise in its foreign exchange reserves, global recognition of its technological advancements, energy of 540 million youth, spread and reach of 25 million people in various parts of the planet with the potential of sharing capacity of resources and knowledge and the illusory distinction of public-private and private sectors slowly vanishing. India's reputation as the largest democracy in the world is building up today. This has led to a rise in confidence among foreign investors to evince interest in India.
Dr Kalam laid out before the students, teachers and audiences a 10-point distinctive profile of the nation for transforming the country into a developed nation. He stressed on agriculture and food processing, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all in each part of the country, education and healthcare, information and communicative technology, self-reliance in critical technology. His India of dream in 2020 would be such a nation where the distinct line between urban and rural would vanish and power and drinking water for all would be a reality.
Kalam recalled the book written by Howard Gardener titled Five Minds for Future, which has published 25 centuries after Lord Buddha's enlightenment. After studying it, he came to know about the five minds about the future. These are disciplinary mind, synthesising mind, creating mind, respectful mind and ethical mind. "If we control these 5 types mind then we can achieve what is expected and what is not anticipated. Without these a person will be at the mercy of the forces which one cannot understand," he said.
Chancellor of the university MC Bhandare recalled the development of the Ravenshaw College into a university and said the Orissa history is incomplete without Ravenshaw. Vice-Chancellor Dr Devdas Chhotray gave his welcome address.