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India

Developed Dream the Change! Be the Change!

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Dream, Dream, Dream

Dreams transform into thoughts

And thoughts result in action.

Unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us.

In this world, fear has no place.

Only strength respects strength.

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Preface

Ignited young minds, we feel, are a powerful resource. We must all

work together to transform our ‘developing India’ into a ‘developed

India’, and the revolution required for this effort must start in our minds.

This report will hopefully be the source for igniting many minds.

We have written this report as an expression of our faith in the

potential of India and our countrymen. We have all resources we need,

whether it be people, talent, natural bounty or other assets. Scarcity of

resources is not the cause of our problems. Our problems originate in

our approach towards them. With our resources and the money we

spend we could easily accomplish three times what we do, in half time

we normally take, if we operate in mission mode with a vision for the

nation.

We want to live in a prosperous India without poverty, an India strong

in trade and commerce, an India strong in many fields of science and

technology, an India with innovative industry and with health and

education for all.

We are ready to Dream the Change. We are ready to Be the Change.

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Acknowledgement

We would like to mention two books whose ideas we found especially

relevant to our theme. They were Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power

within India and India 2020: A Vision for the new millennium, both by

Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. We would like to thank Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam for

igniting our minds.

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Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgement

Methodology

Summary

1. What do we mean by developed India?

1.1 What makes a country developed?

1.2 The Total Development

1.3 The Development in terms of a Common Man

2. Awaking the Generation

2.1 What History says?

2.1.1 The Liberation of India

2.1.2 The Foundation Of Israel

2.1.3 The Reunification of Germany

2.1.4 The Rise of Japan

2.2 Igniting the Minds

2.3 Being Proud, Being Confident, Being Focused

2.4 Thinking, Analyzing and Making People Understand

3. Where do we stand?

3.1 The Knowledge Society

3.2 The Fast-Growing Economy

3.3 The Largest Democracy

3.4 Corruption Everywhere

3.5 The Second Largest Population

3.6 The Widespread Poverty

3.7 The Illiterate Section

3.8 The National Security

3.9 We Are Changing

4. Dream the Change! Be the Change!

4.1 Changing the Education System

4.2 Changing Habits to Change Future

4.3 Modifying The Reservation System

4.4 Terrorism has No Religion

4.5 The Technology Vision

Conclusion

Song of Youth

Bibliography

Webliography

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Methodology

We were inspired to prepare this report and the lot of data was

needed. The sources of our data collection were as follows:

Books

Magazine Archives

TV Channel Archives

Newspaper Archives

Internet Blogs

National Portal of India

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Summary

India Developed is not just a report; it’s something we want to

achieve desperately. A nation’s wealth is the young generation of the

country. We want the Indian Youth to realize the current situation of

India. We want them to step ahead to change it. We hope to ignite the

minds of the Indian Youth through this report. We have tried to

configure a pathway to developed India. We want every Indian to Dream

the Change and Be the Change!

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1

What do we mean by Developed India?

Only when we have wiped the tears from the faces of all, have we truly arrived as a nation.

-Mahatma Gandhi

1.1 What makes a Country Developed?

The obvious indicators are the wealth of the nation, the prosperity

of its people and its standing in the international forum. There are many

indicators regarding the wealth of a nation: the Gross National Product

(GNP), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the balance of payments,

foreign exchange reserves, rate of economical growth, per capita

income, etc. In addition, the volume of trade, the share in international

trade (both imports and exports) and rate of growth in both of these

also provides an idea about the strength of economy and its ability to

sustain the wealth created and to create more.

Economic indicators are important, but they provide only a part of the

picture. Per capita income can indicate the wealth in the hands of

people. Per capita income does not indicate that they all have the same

amount of money .It is the average of the rich and poor. The same per

capita figure also does not indicate the amount of well being within a

country or even within a state or region. For purposes of global

comparisons, a new parameter, such as purchasing power parity, is

nowadays being used. Complex models are also being discussed,

debated and used as indices of human development. All of them only

present certain facets of living conditions. These statistics do not

indicate the long term sustainability of the quality of life achieved by

people.

1.2 The Total Development

It's not just about economic development, but more importantly

social & technical development, which will automatically lead to

economical growth. Many parameters are utilized to indicate how well

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people are fed; their overall nutritional status; the availability of good

nutrition during various phases of their growth and lives; the average life

expectancy; the infant mortality rate; the availability of sanitation; the

availability of drinking water and its quality; the quantum of living space;

broad categories of human habitat; the incidence of various diseases,

dysfunctions, disorders or disabilities; the access to medical facilities;

literacy; the availability of schools and educational facilities; various

levels of skills to cope with fast changing economic and social demands;

and so on.

It does not make sense to achieve a ‘developed’ status without a

major and continuing upliftment of all Indians who exist today and of the

many more millions who would be added in the years to come. They

should all have a secure and enjoyable ’present’ and also be in a position

to look forward to a better ‘future’. Such a developed India is what we

are looking for.

1.3 The Development in terms of the Common Man

What does the developed nation status mean in terms of the

common man? It means the major transformation of our national

economy to make it one of the largest economies in the world; where

the country men live well above the poverty line, their education and

health is of high standard; national security reasonably assured, and the

core competence in certain major areas gets enhanced significantly so

that the production 28 of quality goods, including exports, is rising and

thereby bringing all round prosperity for the countrymen. What is the

common link needed to realize these sub goals? It is the technological

strength of the nation, which is the key to reach this developed status.

In this quest of being a superpower, we should not miss the bonding

between the people. Hence when we talk of developing India, we mean

developing the thinking process of the people of India. We expect the

people of India to be gelled together with the common link of being the

Indians.

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2

Awaking the Generation

Think, Dream, Innovate & Change

Nations are built by the imagination and untiring enthusiastic efforts

of generations. One generation transfers the fruits of its toil to another

which then takes forward the mission. As the coming generation also has

its dreams and aspirations for the nation’s future, it therefore adds

something from its side to the national vision; which the next generation

strives hard to achieve. This process goes on and the nation climbs steps

of glory and gains higher strengths.

2.1 What the History says?

In the past whenever a revolution has occurred, the whole generation

has participated.

2.1.1 The Liberation of India

Any organization, society or even a nation without a vision is like a

ship cruising on the high seas without any aim or direction .It is clarity of

national vision which constantly drives the people towards the goal.

The glorious generation of freedom fighters, led by Mahatma

Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, and many others set for the

nation a vision of free India. This was the first vision, set by the

people for the nation. It, therefore, went deep into the

minds and the hearts of the masses and soon became the

great inspiring and driving force for the people to

collectively plunge into the struggle for freedom movement.

The unified dedicated efforts of the people from every walk of life won

freedom for the country.

In the pre-Independence days, India had many dreamers;

many capable women and men thinking of a strong and

modern India. Many of them took the initiative in various

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fields, political, social, economic, industrial, educational,

literary, scientific, engineering, and the religious. They

enriched India by their actions, and reflected different

facets of our independence struggle. Independent India

was enriched by this Inheritance.

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2.1.2 The Foundation of Israel

Israel was born as a nation in 1948, under very difficult circumstances.

Israelis were not just satisfied with having a home of their own. They

had a further vision: to be able to meet not only their immediate food

and water requirements, but also those of the future. They wanted food

and water security, in a place which was a desert. Water was scarce.

They were surrounded by hostile nations, and had very little by way of

natural resources. They were a small country too. Yet they not only had

a vision for food security, but also aimed to become a leader in agrofood

products and set standards in terms of productivity, yield or even in

absolute production in many items of food, be it milk or fruit or other

commodities. They did deploy a larger amount of technology in this

venture, leading to Israel being today a leader in agriculture and

agrofood related technologies.

Israel did not stop merely at food security

in food and agriculture. It needed defense.

They have remarkable capability in defense

and military equipment, including missiles.

They sought nuclear, space and electronics

capability, and no have several excellent

products and technologies. Israel is globally

acknowledged as a technological, military and

economic power. That is due to its long term

vision and sustained action.

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2.1.3 The Reunification of Germany

It existed for 184 years, the German Question. It arose on August 6,

1806 when Franz II, the last Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the

German Nation, bowed down to an ultimatum from Napoleon, laid

down his crown, relieved the Estates of their duties and thereby

dissolved the “Old Empire”. In terms of the old demand for “unity in

freedom”, the German Question was resolved on October 3, 1990, with

the approval of the four former occupying powers, when the German

Democratic Republic acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany. At a

state act in the Berlin Philharmonie Richard von Weizsäcker, the German

President, described the historical importance of reunification in a

sentence that has gone down in the annals of German history: “The day

has come on which for the first time in history the whole of Germany

takes a permanent place among Western democracies.”

For united Germany, a new era of exceptional challenges began. They

had lost everything in the past, but now they were up for the challenges.

They were inspired for change. Now, Germany is renowned for the

quality of its products with the trademark “made in Germany”. Germany

is the largest economy in the European Union and the third largest in the

world. Germany is Europe’s no. 1 in terms of patent registrations.

Together with Japan and the United States, Germany, with its 11,188

triad patent registrations, is among the world’s three most innovative

countries. Thanks to its six renowned manufacturers VW, Audi, BMW,

Daimler, Porsche and Opel (General Motors), Germany takes its place

alongside Japan and the USA as one of the top three automobile

manufacturers in the world. They are undoubtedly the technological

power house of the world.

After the Second World War, Germany was twice all but destroyed.

And yet its people’s sense of destiny never dimmed. From the ashes of

the Second World War, it has emerged as a nation economically

powerful and politically assertive. If Germany can be a great nation, why

can’t India?

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2.1.4 The Rise of Japan

In the sixties, the Japanese were not technological leaders. In fact,

Japanese products during that period were known more for their poor

quality. The country had to import technologies in a major way. But the

Japanese made it a point, mostly through voluntary action by their

industries and government agencies, to invest about four times more

towards their own technology development for every unit of money

they spent in importing technology. This was meant to develop internal

technological core competencies in their industries and institutions.

Over a period of about two decades they have reached the status of a

net exporter of technology and become one of the world’s great

economic powers, though their own natural resources are practically

negligible in most sectors.

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In many ways, Japan can be considered the country that has

pioneered the systematization of a long term technological vision of the

country as whole, and translated its vision into reality through trading

agencies, industry, laboratories, universities, financial institutions and

government agencies. How did Japan achieve this status? Not overnight,

but over about two decades, with large team in industries, laboratories,

government, financial institutions, users, and consumers holding

steadfast to their vision of a developed Japan and working hard to

ensure that the vision was realized.

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This vision was shared by politicians, administrators, diplomats,

businessmen, scientists, engineers, technicians, bankers and people

from several other occupations. Whenever a Japanese agency or

industry imported a technology, they did not rest in peace. They worked

hard to understand it and to improve upon it. In the process they spent

almost four times as much as the value of imported technology in

generating their own technologies, because they knew that a developed

Japan could become a reality only when it was technologically

component and when it could develop its designs. The results are before

us: a country divested by war and two nuclear bombs, and subjected to

humiliating conditions after the Second World War, is now accepted as

one of the world’s seven most powerful countries. Japan has very

limited natural resources and was restricted in its attempts to acquire

military strength. It has won through a technological race, inspired by a

vision. The Japanese are proud of being one people, having one culture,

and because of that they could transform a humiliating military defeat

into a triumphant economic victory.

It is good to read, hear and see what others have done. However, the

conclusions regarding what is good for our country are to be shaped by

our own people.

2.2 Igniting the Minds

Nations consist of people. And with their effort a nation can

accomplish all it could ever want. Every nation has struggled to achieve

its goals. Generations have given their best to make life better for their

offspring. There is nothing mysterious or hidden about this, no

alternative to effort. The previous generation has put India strongly on

the path of economic, agricultural and technological development. And

yet we fail to follow the winning track. India has stood too long in the

line of developing nations. More than the problems outside –

globalization, recession, inflation, insurgency, instability and so on – it’s

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the inertia that has gripped the national psyche, the mindset of defeat.

When we will begin to believe in our goals, what we dream of will start

becoming a reality and the results will begin to follow. We need to

motivate the Youth of India. As the first step towards developed India,

we must ignite the minds of this generation with the vision of developed

India.

It’s very difficult to change those who are already having a wrong

mindset, but we can change ourselves & the next generations. Every kid

follows its parents. If parents, for example, throw wastes at public

places, then the kid would do the same & this is the way it's been

happening so far. Whatever things the previous generations did, we

have been following them without evaluating whether they were right

or wrong. We need to avoid the mistakes they did & which we may do,

in due course of time.

2.3 Being Proud, Being Confident, Being Focused

We must change our mindset. We need to be proud of ourselves.

And we can be so, only when we will ensure that we do only such things

which we can be proud of. We can be proud of ourselves only when we

are fully convinced that, we have not done anything which will adversely

affect our society and have tried our best to help others.

We need to think over everything we do. We have to analyze any

activity, we do, with respect to all possible effects it can have, as many

small things, we do in our day to day life, matter most to our country.

We need to be confident about our decisions & we can be so, only when

we take our decisions after looking at all aspects of the situation. To

cover each & every aspect we have to remain focused. Our Decisions will

take us either towards the development or towards the downfall & we

have to ensure they take us to developed India.

Decisions, what we take, make our mindset. As whenever we have

done something, which we feel should not have, we feel deprived of

ourselves. Hence being proud of ourselves means to try to avoid any

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such activity. Being proud does not mean being rude. Being proud does

not mean being satisfied about what we are or where we are, but it's all

about having faith in ourselves to overcome whatever challenges we

may face. This is what we lack in our society and that's why we are still

developing. We need to change this as quickly as possible. As mindset of

individuals in society collectively becomes the mindset of the society.

2.4 Thinking, Analyzing and Making People Understand

We should always try to think about each & everything happening

around us. We must make our own opinion about it, no matter whether

it is right or wrong. We need to speak about it with others. We should

compare our opinion with the others, this would help us developing our

opinion accordingly. Most importantly, we should be always ready to

accept that, our opinion might be wrong. We must respect opinions of

others. Until we are not sure about whether we are right or wrong, we

should keep on discussing the issue with as many people as we can, as

they might come up with something better than what we have thought.

This way we can come closer to a definite opinion about that particular

issue.

Now, that's half job done. As an individual we have the proper

opinion about that particular issue, but that's not enough at all. We must

make people understand, what we have analyzed. To convince people

with some previous misconceptions is the most difficult job to be done.

Making people understand & conveying the proper message is an art.

We need to be confident that our opinion is nearly right, so that we can

remain firm with our opinion. While explaining our views to others, we

must listen to what they are saying. If we come across any good point

we should add it to ours, but not before we analyze it in all aspects. If we

clear each & every confusion of the people, then they will accept our

views. These people should try to convince others. This way, if we

change the mindset of people of India, a generation will rise to

transform India into a developed nation. As the generation will awake,

country will rise to its actual capabilities.

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3

Where do We stand?

If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed

with all the wealth, power & beauty that nature can bestow - in some parts a very

paradise on earth – I should point to India.

-F. Max Mueller

3.1 The Knowledge Society

Ancient India was an advanced knowledge society. Invasions and

colonial rule destroyed its institutions and robbed it of its core

competence. We have been systematically degraded to lower levels of

existence. By the time British left, our youth had lowered their aims and

we were satisfied earning an ordinary livelihood. India is essentially a

land of knowledge and it must rediscover itself in this aspect. Once this

discovery is done, it will not require much struggle to achieve the quality

of life, strength and sovereignty of a developed nation.

Still, Indians are most sought after for innovative solutions. Is our

education system capable of sustaining this trend? We don’t think so.

Things have started going other way with the Indian students having lack

of practical knowledge to survive on the global platform. This is wasting

the money and the time of our industry to train them according to the

job requirement. India is essentially a land of knowledge and it must

rediscover itself in this aspect. Once this discovery is done, it will not

require much struggle to achieve the quality of life, strength and

sovereignty of a developed nation.

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3.2 The Fast-Growing Economy

The idea that India is a poor country is a relatively recent one.

Historically, South Asia was always famous as the richest region of the

globe. Ever since Alexander the Great first penetrated the Hindu Kush,

Europeans fantasized about the wealth of these lands where the Greek

geographers said that gold was dug by up by gigantic ants and guarded

by griffins, and where precious jewels were said to lie scattered on the

ground like dust.

What changed was the advent of European colonialism. Following

Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to the East in 1498,

European colonial traders — first the Portuguese, then the Dutch and

finally the British — slowly wrecked the old trading network and

imposed with their cannons and caravels a Western imperial system of

command economics. It was only at the very end of the 18th century,

after the East India Company began to cash in on the Mughal Empire's

riches, which Europe had for the first time in history a favorable balance

of trade with Asia. The era of Indian economic decline had begun, and it

was precipitous. In 1600, when the East India Company was founded,

Britain was generating 1.8% of the world's GDP, while India was

producing 22.5%. By 1870, at the peak of the Raj, Britain was generating

9.1%, while India had been reduced for the first time to the epitome of a

Third World nation, a symbol across the globe of famine, poverty and

deprivation.

Looking back at the role Europeans have played in South Asia until

their departure in August 1947, there is certainly much that the West

can be said to have contributed to Indian life: the Portuguese brought

the chili pepper, while the British brought that other essential staple, tea

— as well as the arguably more important innovations including

democracy and the rule of law, railways, cricket and the English

language. All contributed to India's economic resurrection. But the

British should keep their nostalgia and self-satisfaction surrounding the

colonial period within strict limits. For all the irrigation projects, the

great engineering achievements and the famous imperviousness to

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bribes of the officers of the Indian Civil Service, the Raj nevertheless

presided over the destruction of India's political, cultural and artistic

self-confidence as well as the impoverishment of the Indian economy.

Sixty years after independence, India is

beginning to deliver on its promise. Over

the past few years the world's biggest and

rowdiest democracy has matched its

political freedoms with economic ones,

unleashing a torrent of growth and wealth

creation that is transforming the lives of

millions. India's economic clout is

beginning to make itself felt on the

international stage, as the nation retakes

the place it held as a global-trade giant

long before colonial powers ever arrived

there.

India is a fast-growing economy; with large, skilled workforce but

widespread poverty. Our country has a burgeoning urban middle class

and has made great strides in fields such as information technology. Its

large, skilled workforce makes it a popular choice for international

companies seeking to outsource work.

It is worth remembering

this as India aspires to

superpower status.

Economic futurologists all

agree that China and India

during the 21st century will

come to dominate the

global economy. Various

intelligence agencies

estimate that China will

overtake the U.S. between 2030 and 2040 and India will overtake the

U.S. by roughly 2050, as measured in dollar terms. Measured by

purchasing-power parity, India is already on the verge of overtaking

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Japan to become the third largest economy in the world. It is worth

remembering this as India aspires to superpower status. Economic

futurologists all agree that China and India during the 21st century will

come to dominate the global economy. Various intelligence agencies

estimate that China will overtake the U.S. between 2030 and 2040 and

India will overtake the U.S. by roughly 2050, as measured in dollar

terms. Measured by purchasing-power parity, India is already on the

verge of overtaking Japan to become the third largest economy in the

world.

Today, things are slowly returning to historical norms. Last year the

richest man in the U.K. was for the first time an ethnic Indian, Lakshmi

Mittal, and Britain's largest steel manufacturer, Corus, has been bought

by an Indian company, Mittal Steel. Extraordinary as it is, the rise of India

and China is nothing more than a return to the ancient equilibrium of

world trade, with Europeans

no longer appearing as gun-

toting, gunboat-riding

colonial masters but instead

reverting to their traditional

role: that of eager

consumers of the much

celebrated manufactures,

luxuries and services of the

East.

Indian corporations are proving to be

formidable competitors in the global,

information-driven economy. That's possible

because India--the second most populous

nation in the world, and projected to be by

2015 the most populous--is itself being

transformed. Writers like to attach catchy tags

to nations, which is why you have read plenty about the rise of Asian

tigers and the Chinese dragon. Now here comes the elephant. India's

economy is growing more than 8% a year.

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Not so long ago, there was any surer way to get rich in a hurry than to

bet on Indian stocks. Millions of Indians were finally clawing their way

into the middle class, creating a new domestic consumer market, while

companies in Mumbai and Bangalore emerged as global players in

everything from outsourcing to pharmaceuticals. Investors went crazy.

India's main stock index, the Sensex, has more than tripled in the past

three years. Foreign institutional investors poured $30 billion into the

Indian market in three years--double the amount they had invested in

the previous decade. Firms like JP Morgan and Fidelity raced to set up

India-focused mutual funds. Though the Indian market still looks as risky

as it is tempting, the long-term picture remains sunny.

A new word has appeared during water-cooler conversations in

offices across the U.S. The term is Bangalored. It refers to India's high-

tech hub, and it means your job has just moved to India without you. But

in the shifting global labor market, vernacular can quickly become

outdated. What is the term for a job that is outsourced to India only to

be relayed to China or Romania?

There is none--but one may soon be needed.

That's because India, which virtually invented

offshore outsourcing, is becoming a victim of its

own success. Such companies as Infosys, Wipro

and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) grew into billion-dollar behemoths

by tapping armies of quick-coding, English-speaking, low-wage techies to

do the software programming and back-office tasks

that US companies used to perform in-house. But

Indian salaries are rising--the median annual wage for

a software engineer jumped 11%, from $6,313 in

2004 to $7,010 in 2005, according to India's National Association of

Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM)--and the country's

technical colleges aren't producing highly skilled workers quickly

enough. Foreign companies are turning to low-cost markets outside

India, like China, the Philippines and Eastern Europe, to do more of their

grunt work. China has much the same resources as us: great pools of

talent and a young workforce--and better schools, airports and roads.

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3.3 The Largest Democracy

A generation of extraordinary revolutionaries cemented democracy

in India. Mahatma Gandhi planted the spirit of an inclusive, secular

nationalism at the grass roots. India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal

Nehru, and his contemporaries nurtured it following independence,

building democratic institutions and a system of checks and balances

that remain entrenched to this day, while neighbors Pakistan and later

Bangladesh routinely threw out constitutions and fell under bouts of

military rule.

Visitors always seem to be astonished by the cacophony of the Indian

street and the vibrant mix of ethnicities, cultures and religions that gives

it life. With a sixth of humanity living within its borders, India is more

linguistically diverse than Europe. But, apart from a few hiccups along

the way, it remains one of the most stable and unified societies in all of

Asia. India has proven once and for all that countries which are poor and

diverse can be democratic. The hurly-burly of India's politics is not for

everyone. Elsewhere in Asia, many rulers have favored an orderly,

sternly run society over a boisterous, democratic one. Taiwan, South

Korea and Singapore all grew their economies while keeping politics

under a short leash. Today, China, the Asian giant whose shadow looms

largest over India, tightly monitors public opinion and swiftly quashes

dissent. The Chinese leadership vaunts harmony over all else, and points

to the hundreds of millions it lifted out of poverty in just two decades as

a vindication of its development-first policies.

It's an argument not easily dismissed. Even the fiercest supporters of

Indian democracy cannot ignore its dark underbelly. We saw in recent

elections dozens of candidates run despite holding criminal records;

some of them even coordinated their campaigns using mobile phones

while detained in prison. It's one thing if such behavior was an

aberration, but, in India, this is par for the course. And as graft stifles the

poor, separatist insurgencies in Kashmir and the country's troubled

northeast continue to simmer, asking tough questions of a nation that

values popular sovereignty and self-determination.

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A trade-off between development and democracy can prove

damaging. While China's economy soars, hundreds of millions of migrant

workers and rural peasants have been left on the outside looking in. In

India growth may have been slow, but over a period of time it is more

certain and sustainable because of its democracy. Some would dispute

that assertion, but there's no arguing that economic policies and

commercial decisions in India rope in a greater number of stakeholders

than in many other places in Asia.

True, India, a noisy nation of over 1 billion voices, can't match the

hyper-affluence of Singapore or China's titanic boom, but it shows that

hearing those voices is the best long-term strategy. The future of the

world is not just about growth rates. It's about the principle of human

equality. Sixty years of freedom have bound all Indians, rich and poor, to

a single commitment: democracy. India is neither east nor west as

Rudyard Kipling saw it, but in its diversity and exuberance a reflection of

something universal.

3.4 Corruption Everywhere

Corruption pervades all strata of society — Transparency

International ranks India worse than countries like El Salvador and

Bulgaria in the corruption stakes — mostly because the nation's bloated,

unwieldy bureaucracies encourage it. India ranks 83 in the list of least-

corrupt countries.

It is no mystery that underdevelopment and high degrees of

corruption are highly correlated. There are causal links between the two

and most likely these are bi-directional. Corruption is endogenous in

most systems and clearly reflects the dominant cultural traits. In India,

the web of corruption probably has a bureaucratic core. A vast

bureaucracy that is instituted to control every aspect of economic life

creates the incentives for individual and institutionalized corruption.

Then the “democratic” political system uses that bureaucracy to extract

rents that are used for fueling the vast political machinery.

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The most disquieting aspect of the widespread corruption in India is

the fact that it is not anymore confined to politicians or the government

machinery alone. It is prevalent amongst almost every section of the

society at every level. The most of the Indians are involved in corrupt

practices in one way or the other, either due to greed or due to so called

compulsion. In any case, the willingness to sacrifice for the sake of not

getting involved in corrupt dealings is conspicuous by its absence

amongst the most.

The costs of corruption are manifest in various parts of the economy.

Inadequate infrastructure, of course, is widely recognized as a serious

impediment to India's advancement. Producing valuable goods is of

limited utility if they cannot be transported in a timely fashion, for

example. Transparency International estimates that Indian truckers pay

something in the neighborhood of $5 billion annually in bribes to keep

freight flowing. Corruption also cripples the effort to ameliorate poverty

in India and to improve the country's stock of "human capital."

3.5 The Second Largest Population

India's population of approximately 1.13 billion people (estimate for

March 10, 2008) comprises approximately one-sixth of the world's

population. Population in India density has risen concomitantly with the

massive increases in population. In 1901 India counted some seventy-

seven persons per square kilometer; in 1981 there were 216 persons per

square kilometer; by 1991 there were 267 persons per square kilometer-

-up almost 25 percent from the 1981 population density. India's average

population density is higher than that of any other nation of comparable

size. The highest densities are not only in heavily urbanized regions but

also in areas that are mostly agricultural.

Population of India growth in the years between 1950 and 1970

centered on areas of new irrigation projects, areas subject to refugee

resettlement, and regions of urban expansion. Areas where population

did not increase at a rate approaching the national average were those

31

facing the most severe economic hardships, overpopulated rural areas,

and regions with low levels of urbanization.

The results of the 1991 census revealed that around 221 million, or

26.1 percent, of Indian's population lived in urban areas. Of this total,

about 138 million people, or 16 percent, lived in the 299 urban

agglomerations. In 1991 the twenty-four metropolitan cities accounted

for 51 percent of India's total population living in Class I urban centers,

with Mumbai the largest at 12.6 million. In the early 1990s, growth was

the most dramatic in the cities of central and southern India. About

twenty cities in those two regions experienced a growth rate of more

than 100 percent between 1981 and 1991. Areas subject to an influx of

refugees also experienced noticeable demographic changes. Refugees

from Bangladesh, Burma, and Sri Lanka contributed substantially to

population growth in the regions in which they settled. Less dramatic

population increases occurred in areas where Tibetan refugee

settlements were founded after the Chinese annexation of Tibet in the

1950s.

3.6 The Widespread Poverty

Beneath the glitz of India's ebullient film

industry or the sheen of chrome-and-glass IT

centers, a vast, confusing and poor India

lurches onward. It shares little with the

country's jet-setting globalists, high-powered

intellectuals or high-rolling industrialists. It

knows more about enduring hardship than enhancing hardware. Yet,

again in India, the twain do meet.

A significant fact which stands out is that those parts of India which

have been longest under British rule are the poorest today. The Indian

economy was purposely and severely deindustrialized through colonial

privatizations, regulations, tariffs on manufactured or refined Indian

goods, taxes, and direct seizures. India accounted for 17.6% of global

32

industrial production against Britain's 9.5%, but by 1900 India's share

was down to 1.7% against Britain's 18.5%. Not only was Indian industry

losing out, but consumers were forced to rely on expensive British

manufactured goods, especially as barter, local crafts and subsistence

agriculture was discouraged by law. The agricultural raw materials

exported by Indians were subject to massive price swings and declining

terms of trade.

British policies in India exacerbated weather conditions to lead to

mass famines which, when taken together, led to between 30 to 60

million deaths from starvation in the Indian colonies. Community grain

banks were forcibly disabled; land was converted from food crops for

local consumption to cotton, opium, tea, and grain for export, largely for

animal feed. In summary, deindustrialization, declining terms of trade,

and the periodic mass misery of man-made famines are the major ways

in which colonial government destroyed development in India and held

it back for centuries. About 60% of the population depends on

agriculture whereas the

contribution of agriculture to the

GDP is about 18%. High population

growth rate, although

demographers generally agree that

this is a symptom rather than

cause of poverty.

Eradication of poverty in

India can only be a long-term goal.

Poverty alleviation is expected to

make better progress in the next

50 years than in the past, as a

trickle-down effect of the growing

middle class. Increasing stress on

education, and the empowerment of women and the economically

weaker sections of society, is also expected to contribute to the

alleviation of poverty. It is incorrect to say that all poverty reduction

programs have failed. The growth of the middle class indicates that

33

economic prosperity has indeed been very impressive in India, but the

distribution of wealth is not at all even.

After the liberalization process

and moving away from the socialist

model, India is adding 60-70 million

people to its middle class every year.

India is an economic miracle. With

growth rates of nearly 10% a year the

country is becoming richer than ever

before. But while the burgeoning

middle class has more money to

spend, most Indians still live in

desperate poverty. UN statistics

show that 700 million Indians live on

less that $2 a day and a fifth of

children doesn’t go to school. Although some of these people are

benefiting from the boom, income gaps are widening fast. And with a

rapidly growing population, the economy has to keep growing for

society to simply stand still.

3.7 The Illiterate Section

About 35% of Indians are illiterate, which has a significant impact on

the national economy, as well as on the lives of individual people. Due to

various social and economic problems India's education program

continues to be undercut. The biggest victims of the poor educational

system are those living in rural areas. The attitudes of the children and

teachers also affect the quality of the schools. Allocation of government

funds and the conditions of the destitute rural schools contribute to the

low quality of education by rural children. While there are many rural

area school systems which are operating in poor conditions there is one

in particular whose schools outperform most other rural schools and

also those located in wealthy areas of India. Consequently, Kerala, a

rural state of India remains a puzzle to many educators. Its illiteracy rate

does not follow the trend of most rural schools.

34

Many children living in rural areas receive a level of education which

is very poor. Overall enrollment in primary and middle schools are very

low. Fifty percent of children living in these areas leave school before

the fifth grade. These children leave school for variety of reasons: some

leave because of lack of interest; most leave so that they can work in the

fields, where the hours are long and the pay is low. A large percent of

the dropouts are females. Forced by their parents, most girls perform

chores and tend the family at home. These are some of the reasons why

sixty percent of all females in India are illiterate, a figure much higher

than those of males. As these children grow into adults, many are still

illiterate by the age of forty. These uneducated adults are also reluctant

to send their own children to school because of their failure in the

education system. This in turn creates a problem for the next

generation.

While the children living in rural

areas continue to be deprived of a

quality education, part of the reason

why is due to their teachers. A large

number of teachers refuse to teach in

rural areas and those that do are

usually under qualified. Those that refuse to teach in rural areas cite

distance and lack of interest by students as problems. Many of the

teachers also lack the enthusiasm to teach because of their meager

salary. Another obstacle faced by the schools is that obtaining more

teachers for rural schools is difficult because of state guidelines that

approve of high student-to-teacher ratios.

As the lack of teachers creates many obstacles for children in rural

schools, another setback is the lack of resources which becomes

detrimental to the learning process. Lack of books and other reading

materials seem to be a widespread problem. The use of computers is

very rare. Some schools are located in warehouses while others in small

houses. Many of the rural schools operate without electricity. While

many rural schools search for the proper resources, the distribution of

government funds is major hindrance to the educational system.

35

According to a recent study done by the World Bank, thirty percent of

the total educational funding goes toward higher educational

institutions. This is an important issue because the number of students

enrolled in these types of institutions represent such a small percent of

India's students. Other examples of the government's plans to

undermine rural education can be found in the Constitution of India. In

the Constitution it stated that the primary education of rural area

children was a low priority in budget outlays. Though rural children

continue to be deprived of a formal education, the education system of

Kerala, India is an exception. Located in the southern peninsula of the

country, Kerala's illiteracy rates are lower than most other rural areas in

India. Because of its immense population of twenty nine million and high

unemployment rate, a large number of its inhabitants are forced to work

outside of Kerala. Many of the people of Kerala who work in a different

country send lots of donations back to Kerala. These people believe that

it is responsibility of them to donate back to their hometown. It is these

donations which have funded many of the programs that make Kerala

stand out from other rural states. Coupled with the government and

private donations the education system has been able to benefit. More

schools are being built and more teachers are willing to work there.

Although its economy is only growing slowly and unemployment rate is

high, its illiteracy rates, mortality rates and life expectancy are

comparable to richer regions of the country. Other rural areas can learn

from Kerala so that its success can be duplicated. Receiving more private

donations and government support is essential for those rural areas

needing to improve the general lifestyle of its people.

3.8 The National Security

Our Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces, day or night, are awake

guarding our borders on the land, in the air and at sea and remain

vigilant to counter any threat and facilitate unhindered progress of

national development. However, our internal security services are not

capable enough to handle problems of such a huge population.

36

Terrorist Attacks in last 3 years

Date Incident

March 7, 2006

At least 21 people killed in three synchronized

terrorist attacks in Varanasi in Shri Sankatmochan

Mandir and Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station.

July 11, 2006

At least 200 people killed in a series of 7 train-

bombings during the evening rush hour near

Mumbai.

September 8, 2006

At least 37 people killed and 125 injured in a

series of bomb blasts in the vicinity of a mosque in

Malegaon, Maharashtra.

May 18, 2007

At least 13 people were killed, including 4 killed by

the Indian police in the rioting that followed, in

the bombing at Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad that

took place during the Friday prayers.

August 25, 2007

At least 42 people were killed in two blasts in

Hyderabad's Lumbini park and a restaurant. The

police reportedly managed to find and defuse

another bomb in the same area.

May 13, 2008

At least 63 were killed in 9 bomb blasts along 6

areas in Jaipur.

July 25, 2008

At least 2 were killed and 20 injured in 8 low

intensity bomb blasts in Bangalore.

37

July 26, 2008

At least 29 were killed and over 110 injured in 17

serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad.

September 13, 2008

At least 15 were killed and over 110 injured in 5

bomb blasts in Dehli markets.

As of today, we are prone to every terrorist attack

and it’s becoming just impossible for the police to stop

any such well-planned activity. We need to increase

number of dedicated security personals, as it will

reduce the work load and the metal stress on these

officers. These officers should be selected carefully and

they should undergo enhanced military training. They should be forced

to remain physically fit. Strict action should be taken on corrupt officers.

In this world, only strength respects strength. The only way to

show the strength of the country is the might to defend it. Here, the

Strength means the military might and economic prosperity. The

decisions and policies of the United Nations Security Council are dictated

by the countries that possess nuclear weapons. Issues of national

security are no longer simple considerations of defense but are closely

intertwined with many aspects of trade, commerce, investment as well

as creation and use of a knowledge base. What appears to be emerging

is a new kind of warfare. If a country does not learn to master these new

realities of life, all our aspirations to ensure the prosperity of our people

may come to naught. This does not mean that the advocacy of isolation

or going back to concepts of a nuts and bolts form of self reliance. We

need to address newer and more sophisticated concepts of protecting

our strategic interests.

38

3.9 We Are Changing

Most Indians recognize that the next big challenge will be to bridge

the widening divide between the country's middle class and the poor.

The pessimists worry that social unrest will rise if that does not happen;

the optimists say the process may be slow, but growth will trickle down.

We are changing. And the signs of this change can be sensed in some

fields. Tata has overtaken Jaguar and Land Rover from

Ford. India’s Moon mission is on its way. The new

method has been developed by

researchers at the company

Tata Consultancy Services to improve literacy

rates. It works by teaching people whole words

rather than individual letters, and the scientists

who developed it say it costs about $2 for each

adult. So far some 40,000 adults have learned

to read this way. The Times Of India has started its campaign Teach India

making knowledge open to all. The Jago

Party, founded by ex-IITians & IIM

students is ready to enter the Indian

politics. The Films like Swades, Rang De Basanti, Lagaan, Taare Zammen

Par, and Mumbai Meri Jaan etc. are being produced by the Indian film

industry. We are the world champions of the ICC World T20. Recently,

we had the most inspiring Olympics. But this change is just not enough;

we need to change a lot if we want our dream of a developed India to

become a reality.

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4

Dream the Change! Be the Change!

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments...

My Father, let my country awake.

-Rabindranath Tagore

The power of the imagination lies at the heart of the creative process

and is the very substance of life, allied as it is to the power to attract to

us what we most desire. This power makes all the difference between

winners and the losers.

We would like to in next twenty years a literate and poverty-free

India. We dream of an India governed by noble leaders. We dream of a

system where the work of scientists and technologists is focused on

specific missions driven by goals relevant to common man. How to turn

this dream into a reality? We need to realize that missions are always

bigger than organizations, just as organizations are always bigger than

those who run them. Missions need effort and the mind provides the

purpose. It is a power that arises from deep within you. This power is the

basis for the movement towards the excellence we saw at the time of

independence.

Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata brought the steel industry to India even

though the British rulers were not favorably disposed to the idea.

Acharya P. C. Ray nurtured the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

We saw the birth of many great institutions like the Indian Institute of

Science, Bangalore, stared by J. N. Tata, the Banaras Hindu University

established by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Aligarh Muslim

University set up by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. There are many examples. In

all these cases, the motivation was to see India come up in the world, to

demonstrate that ‘India can do it ’.

40

Are we in a position to continue that work, revive that spirit of

enterprise? Shall we ever see cars designed and manufactured in India

dotting the roads in Frankfurt or Seoul? Or Indian satellite launch

vehicles place communication, weather and remote sensing satellites of

other nations in orbit? Or see India build power stations for the USA,

Japan and China? The possibility will remain remote if we stay with the

present trend of low aim.

Today we are witnessing good progress in the software sector but

almost all of the hardware is imported. Can we rise higher on the value

scale there? Can India design an operating system that will become

household name in the world of computers? Our exports consist to a

large extent of low-value raw material such as iron ore and alumina. Can

we not convert these into wide range products that find an international

market? We have hundreds of defense production industries but why

does India not manufacture and market the main Battle Tanks, missiles,

aircraft, guns and other defense equipment? We have the most

important core competence in the form of our multifaceted manpower

and basic infrastructure. Then what is that we don’t have?

Let us think what prevents us in undertaking such challenges. We

have to analyze how we can give a new dimension to our style of

functioning, by cutting across the individual interests of various

ministries and even industries and institutions, to follow an integrated

action plan. The motive force has to be love for the country. We need a

vision that is shared by the entire nation.

In the drive for development, some states are faring better than

others in the country. Bright young entrepreneurs have energized the

national technology scene. Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, and

Hyderabad are hubs of business activity. But even though the IT sector is

a very visible area of success and has brought in some capital

investment, in terms of overall development this is not enough. Even if

you take up the IT area as a mission, manpower is the most important

need. Those living away from the cities must also have access to a good

education to join the talent pool. And this should happen fast. The poor

have the urge and the willingness to work hard. But because of the lack

41

of education they are unable to utilize the available opportunities for

better employment or to improve their standard of living.

Our intellectual forums, political platforms, academic institutions and

chambers of commerce are full of discussion and debate. There is noise,

a lot of it in fact. There are endless debates, arguments, hypotheses, and

theories, and yet there is little progress. However, the theme of a

developed India is not discussed in board rooms and technology

conferences. We should stop blaming others for the circumstances we

find ourselves in. Taking responsibility also means a willingness to

exercise our abilities to the fullest. This will make us worthy of enjoying

the benefits that come with effort.

The needs of a nation’s people are bigger and much more important

than any other considerations. The mission of the Parliament is that it

has to be alive and dynamic over issues vital to the existence of our very

nationhood. Our freedom did not come as a gift. The whole country

struggled for decades to achieve this vision of independence, so we have

to protect it. To preserve this freedom from intruders and others who

would compromise it is our bounden duty and not a matter of choice

and convenience. No ideology is above the security and prosperity of

our country. No agenda is more important than harmony among the

people.

4.1 Changing The Education System

Primary Education is the most important part of any individual's life. It

decides our mindset. It decides how we look at our life. Quality of

Primary Education in India is reaching its worst. It just makes the

students mug up everything they see without understanding a word and

still they score heavily in exams.

"Thinking rather than thought should be taught."

In schools, students should be exposed to real world problems. Let

them create their own opinions, we should get them thinking. Primary

42

Educators should be selected carefully. They should be paid higher. In

Japan, Primary Educators are highest paid employees. . The delivery of

quality education is possible only through quality teachers. The teacher

has to be a committed teacher who loves teaching and children. The

teacher also has to be equipped with all the knowledge required for

effective teaching. The self-esteem of the teacher must be high and the

teacher must have the quality to become a role model for

children.

" An Investment in Knowledge always pays the best interest "

Suggesting to do good things in life is different from motivating to do

so. We agree that, every school always tells students to do good things,

but generally they don't motivate them to do so. We also agree that,

Parents have larger impact on children's mindset, but no school has ever

dared to tell their children that their parents can also make mistakes and

they should learn from those to avoid them.

One way of motivating the students could be having discussion

sessions in the class. Let them express what they think, let them debate

out their point. They might be wrong, but through this they will learn

why they were wrong & will never make those mistakes in their life. We

can expose our students to some innovative competitions in which there

will be groups of 4-5 students, everyone in the class must participate,

they will be given some issues like reservations, corruption, etc. They

have to come up with the solution not necessarily the perfect one, but

they have to discuss about it in their groups, talk about it with their

parents and teachers and finally they have to present their solution in

front of others, best of these will be awarded prizes. When this is

implemented successfully at intra-school level then it can be promoted

to inter-school level.

What we are providing the Indian students is not at all education.

Education does not mean producing doctors & engineers etc., but it's

about teaching people what they like in a proper manner so that they

can implement it to achieve their goals and earnings automatically

come.

43

“The great aim of education is not only knowledge but action.

Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one."

This is nowhere in our education system. We agree that, everyone will

not be able to teach these things, but those, who can, are staying away

from this field. Obviously, everyone wants to earn back from what they

have paid for their education, but those who have the ability can come

back to teaching profession may be after 10-15 years, just to increase

the quality of education. As what we, the students, are getting today is

worst. If we will not try to get it back to level where it was previously,

there will not be a single person who could mould the mindset of

students.

Children who belong to weaker sections of our society are

undernourished and only a small percentage of them manage to

complete eight years of satisfactory education. We need to think

specifically about them. Education is indeed a fundamental right of every

Indian child. Can we allow the situation to continue in which millions of

these children are forced into life-long poverty? The requirement is that

the parents should be able to go to any school nearby and admit their

children and happily come back home with the confidence that their

children will get a good and value based quality education in that school.

The conditions of differently-abled children require equally important

attention. In view of such critical issues and their importance and also to

break out of our historical mindset, an effective and self-renewing

education system is therefore fundamental to the survival and growth of

civilizations.

Clearly public expenditure alone from governments at the Centre and

in the States might not be able to meet the challenge of mobilizing an

additional 2 to 3 per cent of GDP for the mission of education. It is here

that we have to generate additional resources for this noble mission.

Expenditure on education, whether in the Centre or in the States, can no

longer be provided only by respective Ministries or Departments for

human resource development. Indeed, every Department of the

Government must play a significant role as a partner in human resource

44

development organization and contribute resources in terms of budget

and infrastructure for implementing the mission of providing quality

education to the whole nation.

To augment Government resources, we appeal to the entire

corporate sector to emulate the example set by some corporate leaders

who have focused on education to make a national difference. Different

regions of the country may be adopted by the corporate sector within an

overall national mission for education. The mechanism should enable

persons to have freedom to innovate and deliver directly.

The primary focus of the students should be to excel in their studies.

This is their first contribution to the development of the nation. The

education system should instill in the minds of students capacities of

inquiry, creativity, technology, entrepreneurial and moral leadership. If

we develop in all our students these five capacities, we will produce

“Autonomous Learner” a self-directed, self controlled, lifelong learner,

who will have the capacity to both respect authority and at the same

time is capable of questioning authority, in an appropriate manner.

These are the leaders who would work together as a “Self-organizing

Network” and transform India into a developed nation in a time bound

manner.

4.2 Changing the Habits to Change the Future

Small things, which we do in our day to day life matter most to us

and to our country's future. Everyone does small mistakes and that

collectively emerges as a bigger problem. At first, when we look at the

public places in our country, what we notice immediately is garbage

thrown everywhere. Now we start saying that government has not done

its job properly & we may be right to some extent, but who's the actual

culprit? WE. How many of us restrict ourselves from throwing garbage at

the public places? We know the truth and we can’t deny it , but would

we do the same at our home ? Definitely not. We should feel from the

bottom our heart that, our country is our home and at home we are

45

bound to use the dustbin. First, we need to restrict ourselves, and then

only we get the right to tell others to do the same.

Secondly, when we are at public places, we should try to respect

people around us otherwise we will end up in quarrels, ultimately

affecting our day's performance. People think that this is a very common

thing and such things happen, but when such things start happening

more frequently, they need attention. This is not really that difficult

once we make up our mind, they will automatically stop happening.

4.3 Modifying The Reservation System

The only way in which reservation system in India could help it

becoming developed is when it will be truly based on economic

background of students and not on their cast or religion. Those who

have scored well in the entrance exams should be given financial

support so that they are not admitted to the course they like just

because they can't pay the fees.

The first step towards modifying the reservation system would be

making people, who are enjoying [Are they really? We don't think so]

the benefits of reservations, understand how reservations are spoiling

their children's future. If the students know, that there are reserved

seats waiting for them, no matter they study well or not then, would

they ever put extra efforts in studies? No, not at all and this is what is

happening to those who are enjoying the reservations. Due to this the

gap between those who are having reservation and those who are not, is

further increasing.

As these people who have got reserved seats for education in India,

they will not have so on the global platform and in private sectors, there

they will suffer. This needs to be explained to them by us, as their

leaders are engaged only in grabbing votes by misleading them.

46

4.4 Terrorism has No Religion

Our mindset is decided by people around us in early days of ours in

this world. Every religion guides its followers how to live a better life,

that's all nothing more than that. As we don't have a chance to choose

our religion immediately after our birth, we don't have right to blame

people of any religion.

Nowadays, Terrorism has become a business! Lords of this business are

running terrorist factories to brainwash weak minded people and to

train them for destruction. More people they kill, more funds they

receive. This is how these lords are getting richer.

Some suicide bombers do it for their poor families. They get paid for

their life and most importantly for the lives they take way with them.

People with improper childhood education get into this. Some suicide

bombers get easily brainwashed due to lack of proper value education at

home.

Some say, "Every Muslim is not a Terrorist, but Every Terrorist is a

Muslim!" Why? No One is ready to think over it. Lack of value education

& high poverty levels make a Muslim individual a soft target for these

Lords. This situation can be changed. To do that Muslims must realize

that this is not to blame their religion, but its fact that needs to be

changed. Hindu Extremists should also stop blaming every Muslim, just

because some other Muslims are terrorists.

Answer to this problem lies in a powerful primary education system,

which makes the students mentally strong and determined. Education

gives us the power to think and analyze. Students should be taught to

fight against mental attacks of extremists, who can well be their parents

also.

47

4.5 The Technology Vision

Technology can help transform multiple areas such as education and

training, agriculture and food processing, strategic industries and

infrastructure in various fields. India’s human resource base is one of its

great competencies. It is India’s strength. If we can train unskilled Indian,

if we can impart better skills to a skilled India and if we create a more

challenging environment for the educated , as well as build avenues for

economic activity in agriculture , industry and the service sectors , these

Indians will not only meet the targets but excel them . The technology

vision documents advocate the formation of a human resource cadre

that will be the foundation of the action packages for the country in the

near future. Such a cadre will lead us to technological and economic

achievements.

In India, a certain amount of crop (transgenic) biotechnology is being

put to use. Major efforts are being undertaken to make cotton pest

resistant. Most readers would be aware of the spate of suicides by

cotton farmers recently. Let us hope there will be scientific and

technologies breakthroughs in pest resistant transgenic cotton seeds. Till

48

we achieve success in this on a commercial sale we cannot be sure that

we will have enough supplies to plan large scale operations. No doubt

such researches should be encouraged, but we should look at other

fronts too. It is necessary for research on crop biotechnology in India to

be focused on our important crops, especially those related to food

security.

Photonics will dominate all walks of life in the twenty first century. It

will penetrate into several areas traditionally covered by electronics such

as communications, computation, memories etc. It will have far reaching

effects in several critical areas such as information technology, fiber

optics based telecommunication, diagnostics and therapeutic

applications in health care, pollution control, life sciences, besides

others.

If we were to pause for a moment to thing about the growth of

human civilization, we would find that the pace of social and economic

growth has been closely linked to the proficiency with which people

have been able to use and shape materials. Today this proficiency has

become the bedrock of a country’s development. Lightweight high

performance materials and alloys have helped us in building aircraft,

satellite, launch vehicles and missiles. Our houses are full of modern

materials: stainless steel vessels, shaving blades with special coatings,

special non-sticking and slow-heating frying pans; plastic and fiber-glass

products.

The benefits of modern science may not have reached all parts of the

world but there is a far greater awareness of these among people.

People are now demanding more equitable Share of the fruits of modern

knowledge and skills. In India too, the benefits of scientific and

technological breakthroughs have not reached all segments of our

society. Until this happens, we cannot claim that India is truly a

developed society.

We believe that there are many ignited minds in different parts of

India, in different age groups. The Technology Vision will generate multi-

missions and each mission in turn hundreds of projects. This ambience

49

will make the nation achieve the status of a developed nation. The

vision, we believe therefore, can be realized: the vision of a developed

India, which can see Indian products, services and technologies emerge

as World Class!

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Conclusion

India is a nation of a billion people. A nation’s progress depends upon

how its people think. It is thoughts which are transformed into actions.

India has to think as a nation of a billion people. Let the young minds

blossom – full of thoughts, the thoughts of prosperity. Developed India

has to be the mission of every Indian Mind. In this mission, every one of

us has a role to play. It will be a reality if we give whatever we can

through individual, societal and nationwide participation in a national

movement “India Developed “.

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Song of Youth

Me and My Nation - India

As a young citizen of India,

armed with technology, knowledge and love for my nation,

I realize, small aim is a crime.

I will work and sweat for a great vision,

the vision of transforming India into a developed nation

powered by economic strength with value system.

I am one of the citizens of a billion,

only the vision will ignite the billion souls.

It has entered into me,

the ignited soul compared to any resource,

is the most powerful resource

on the earth, above the earth and under the earth.

I will keep the lamp of knowledge burning

to achieve the vision - Developed India.

By Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

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Bibliography

1. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Ignited Minds : Unleashing the Power within

India, 2002

2. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, India 2020 : A Vision for the New

Millennium, 1998

3. TIFAC Reports

4. Time Magazine Archives

5. BBC Archives

6. The Times Of India Archives

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Webliography

1. Wikipedia

2. Google

3. National Portal of India

4. www.indiannanodevices.spaces.live.com

5. www.apjabdulkalam.com