e. Special avenues should be created for induction of about 1,000 young students every year to pursue pure scientific research as their career goal. Then it needs a science cadre employment opportunity.
7. For instance, while the medical and engineering and management training colleges are choked with applicants, many basic science courses go without students. Should there be some policy shifts to encourage people to take up basic sciences and research?
As you may be aware the government has started the Institute of Science, Research and Education in two states. We also need to work progressively to create a global human resource cadre which will provide the youth either with higher education in science, technology and research or with state-of-the-art employable skills which will make the country internationally competitive. By 2050, I visualize 30 per cent of the Indian youth will have higher education progressively compared to 10 per cent as of now and the remaining 70 per cent will have high quality skills in industry, service sector and agriculture.
8. The laudable decision of the government to invest Rs 100 crore in the IISc to create world-class R&D and teaching institutions is seen by many scientists themselves as very meagre to achieve such a large aim. MIT and Stanford have many times larger resources at their command. IISc says enough doctoral students are not turning up in its research sections.
This is one of the initiatives of the government. There are other initiatives by the government with other universities and colleges; also the funding requirement for improving the infrastructure can come from multiple sources. With the suggestions I have made on science cadre, I am sure a number of youth would like to pursue pure research.
9. Despite recent claims in our science labs that India has done world-class research in several cutting-edge areas like nanotechnology, biotechnology, carbon composites, metallurgy, etc. but so far in the last sixty years we have not won a single Nobel for work done in the country. The question arises whether we are really doing world-class research or whether our work goes unrecognized for other reasons. What is your view?
Most of the Nobel prizes go to fundamental research. Presently, bulk of the money given for basic research is diffused in divergent areas. We need to unleash creativity among young students to venture into path-breaking areas of scientific research and concentrate on a few specific areas instead of diffusing the effort in multiple directions. I would suggest focused research in convergence of technologies using nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology. India has a potential to make a large impact. Universities and higher technology institutions have to have core competence in specific research areas and funding. As more research professors and scientists are nurtured by the university environment, more research students will be attracted. It will lead to innovative research results and make an impact on indigenous technology. Some of the research may lead to award-winners. Here I would like to share an experience of how scientific magnanimity is a very important component in the research environment.
Scientific Magnanimity: Nobel Laureate Prof. Norman E. Borlaug, a well-known agricultural scientist and a partner in India’s first Green Revolution, was receiving the M.S. Swaminathan Award at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on 15 March 2005. Prof. Borlaug, at the age of 91, was having praise showered on him by everybody gathered there. When his turn came, he got up and highlighted India’s advancement in agricultural science and production and said that the political visionary C. Subramaniam and Dr M.S. Swaminathan were the prime architects of the first Green Revolution in India. He also recalled with pride Dr Verghese Kurien who ushered in the White Revolution in India. Then the surprise came. He turned to scientists sitting in the third, fifth and eighth rows among the audience. He identified Dr Raja Ram, a wheat specialist, Dr S.K. Vasal, a maize specialist, Dr B.R. Barwale, a seed specialist. He said, all these scientists had contributed to India’s and Asia’s agricultural science. Dr Borlaug introduced them to the audience and ensured that they received a standing ovation. This scene I have not witnessed in our country before. This action of Dr Borlaug, I call it scientific magnanimity. Friends, if you aspire to achieve great things in life, you need scientific magnanimity. It is my experience that great minds and great hearts go together. This scientific magnanimity will motivate the scientific community and nurture team spirit and lead to newer discoveries and innovation in many research areas.
10. Do you think that presidential visits to various friendly countries serve any concrete purpose or they are just ceremonials of limited value?
Accomplishment in any of these visits is purely based on what India wants to achieve. I have visited fourteen countries and addressed their national assemblies and parliament. The visits have given a better understanding of each other and led to newer avenues of dialogue and cooperation. This will have long-term benefit for both the countries.
For example, I addressed the Pan African Parliament in South Africa. There I offered the setting up of Pan African e-Network at an initial cost of $50 million. You will be happy to know that the project is progressing well and has resulted in intensive technology cooperation between Indian teams and the African Union. This I consider as a major achievement.
When I visited Sudan, the ONGC pipeline project was in the offing; today the project has been completed by ONGC Videsh and it is benefiting both the countries.
The Philippines have decided to plant jatropha taking our example. They had invited Indian experts for working out their plans. Also an active cooperation has taken place between Indian and Philippine pharma industries resulting in people there getting medicine at affordable prices. NASSCOM has started working with the Philippines in the establishment of IT, ITES and BPO services.
As a goodwill measure, we agreed to treat a certain number of heart patients, particularly children from Tanzania. I am happy to say that all these children have been brought to India and they have been treated and sent back to their country. Simultaneously many Tanzanian doctors have also been trained in dealing with heart cases.
During my visit to Singapore and South Korea, I have proposed the creation of a World Knowledge Platform between the partnering nations. This programme envisages the design, development and production of state-of-the-art products using the core competence of partner nations in twelve different areas which can be marketed internationally. These countries are actively considering the implementation of a World Knowledge Platform.
11. Now that you have completed the major part of your term would you list some of the programmes which you have initiated and that have given you great satisfaction? Like the PURA for instance?
I would like to mention some of the programmes which give me satisfaction.
Rural Development: Ministry of Rural Development has planned to establish 33 PURA clusters across the nation. Several private educational and societal organizations are taking up PURA to develop rural village clusters.
Energy: Five states have gone in for jatropha plantations for bio-diesel generation. An energy policy has been announced.
Knowledge Grid: The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) is planning to establish the knowledge grid across the nation by networking at least 5,000 academic institutions, universities, colleges using 100 mbps network.
Virtual University: Three 150-year-old universities have started the Virtual University and I have inaugurated and addressed 20,000 students through virtual classrooms.
Village Knowledge Centre: A 100,000 Common Services Centres have been initiated by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) to provide value-added services delivery to the village citizens.
E-governance: Establishing national ID and building e-governance grid for G2G and G2C services are gaining momentum. Government of India announced Rs 23,000 crore for the G2C e-governance services and setting up of SWAN (State Wide Area Network)
12. Do you propose to devote your enormous talent and energy and great dedication to some of your dear ideas after you demit office? Like guiding science research an
d teaching doctoral students? Would you resume your earlier work at the Anna University?
I will continue to work for realizing the Developed India vision before 2020. I will pursue teaching and research. My interaction with students and the youth will continue.
I also intend to devote substantial time every year in the north-east region. This is to focus on shaping developmental initiatives and enable implementation of projects which can make a good impact in a time-bound manner in improving the quality of life of people there and it will also offer a lot of opportunity for high-value employment to the youth of the region.
13. Would you also like to reveal what has been your greatest disappointment despite the great office you have held with such distinction?
I have great hope about the future of our country. I am only concerned about the pace of development. If all the stakeholders work in a coordinated fashion with a common goal by empowering the youth of the nation, we can realize the development goals of India 2020 much faster. Everyone of us should work with the spirit that the nation is bigger than us. I have the greatest confidence in the 540 million youth of the nation.
14. You have visited the north-eastern states and have advised them with road maps for their development. But don’t you consider such advice is not enough in a situation where there are many insurgent groups in almost all the states, the insurgency is preventing flow of investment and lack of investment breeds dissatisfied youth and that feeds the insurgent groups thereby creating a developmental logjam. Is there hope for the suffering people of the north-east in such a situation?
The north-eastern states provide us many opportunities and challenges. I also find that the people have started realizing that insurgency is working against the future of the youth. As aggressive development of the north-eastern states picks up, people will be ready to make sacrifices and meet any challenge coming in the way of development. Hence the message I would like to give both the state and central governments is to go for aggressive development programmes by empowering the youth of the state. We have to improve the employment opportunities through skill-enabling, knowledge-enabling and entrepreneurship development irrespective of the insurgencies and extremist violence.
15. What is your view on the opening up of trade, communication and road-rail routes to the east from the north-eastern states? Would that provide a stimulating influence on the economy and create more jobs and opportunities?
It is a must for development. The political system should facilitate such an opening up of trade, communication and road-rail routes to the east as quickly as possible. I have discussed with the state and central government authorities about the border trade development which can enhance the employment potential of the youth.
16. Will Rashtrapati Bhavan set an example in shifting our energy use from conventional to non-conventional sources as you are stated to be planning to do?
Presently, the experience in the country is only with the solar power systems of kilowatt capacity. What we are planning in Rashtrapati Bhavan is a 5 MW solar plant. The Ministry of Power and Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources are actively working on this project for establishing the power plant at the earliest.
17. In view of the concerns over the energy situation would you be using your influence to promote such a shift across the country – solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy, etc?
As you have noticed in my speeches, I have been suggesting research in the areas of solar energy with CNT (carbon nanotube)-based solar photovoltaic cells for improving the efficiency of solar power plants. I am also suggesting nuclear power through the use of thorium. In the transportation area, I have suggested large-scale plantation of jatropha for bio-diesel generation. Our scientists are working on all these areas.
The visit to three NE states gave me the confidence about the potential of the states in biodiversity and specialized products in horticulture, food processing and garments. This visit also gave me lot of confidence about the inspiration of the youth of these states to succeed in life. They need to be provided with an overall vision of development. Simultaneously, there is a need to enhance the availability of communication and movement infrastructures which makes them remain connected with the external world that will make the states achieve accelerated growth.
APPENDIX-II
Mission Mode Implementation
In my speech before I laid down the office of president, I set out a detailed plan for strengthening Parliament. I suggested that each of the long-term objectives/goals, and other challenges that I had identified be implemented jointly by Parliament and the government, that is cutting across the boundaries of various ministries, departments and institutions, through public-private partnerships where required, in a time- and resource-bound manner characterized as ‘mission-mode’. I hoped that the visionary leadership for each of these missions would emerge from the talented members of Parliament. In this way, all the members, cutting across party lines, would be enabled to take a real stake in effective governance. By taking ownership for specific missions, accountability would follow.
The Organizational Structure for Mission Management
Going by the typical model for mission management in advanced areas, I visualized that
While selected parliamentarians would coordinate the missions, the Cabinet minister in charge of the concerned administrative department would provide directive leadership for the same mission to the required scope and extent within the boundaries of his/her ministry/department.
The cabinet minister would delegate necessary ministry/departmental resources to the ‘Mission Minister’, who would then be made responsible to Parliament for the realization of annual physical and financial targets for his mission.
A conceptual sketch of a Matrix Structure of Multiple Missions to realize the India 2020 vision is shown below.
Mission-mode management would require about 15 to 25 per cent of a ministry or departmental budget to be decentralized and internally allocated mission-wise. Responsibility within each ministry for a particular mission would be assigned to a specific executive of joint secretary/director rank. The mission minister would thus have a team from several JS/directors from different ministries and focus them to accomplish the goals of the mission. Each member of the mission management team would be administratively accountable to the Cabinet minister, but functionally responsible to the mission manager.
It could be easily seen that comprehensive involvement of MPs in this way of ‘matrix management’ would require principles of organization and accountability as follows:
Mission ministers may be ministers of state or drawn from Parliament and even from parties not in the ruling configuration.
Vertical delegation of resources and powers by Cabinet ministers to mission ministers for specific missions, programmes and projects.
Horizontal integration of a specific mission by mission ministers across departmental boundaries through mission-management teams.
Planning Commission and each ministry/department would have to set up India 2020 vision planning teams for overall mission planning and resource allocation.
A comprehensive Vision 2020 plan would be carefully prepared by the Planning Commission with each ministry and mission-planning team.
Resources would be committed to missions from start-to-finish, and the life cycle of missions would extend beyond the life cycles of Parliament and government.
E-governance network would be used extensively.
Mission ministers would be directly accountable to Parliament.
Cabinet ministers would be accountable to the Cabinet which is accountable to Parliament
Large number of mission ministers would be involved in the India 2020 vision matrix, thus enhancing the role and accountability of Parliament; and increasing the number of high public offices for specific missions.
Democratic institutions are no doubt important in the functioning of a democracy. However, they should not be viewed as merely mechanica
l devices for development. Their successful use is dependent on societal values and on effective public participation in ensuring accountability of the governance structure. The time, then, has arrived for a national debate to serve as a catalyst for systemic change.
INDEX
Acharya Mahapragya, 159-60
Acharya Shantideva, 58
AEC (Atomic Energy Commission), 18
Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), 17
Agni V, 10, 78, 79
Agni missile system, 21, 79, 87
Airborne Surveillance Platform, 86-90
Akash missile, 79
Akshardham, 93-94
Ambedkar, Dr B.R., 35
Amma (Mata Amritanandamayee), 24-25
Anna University, 9, 25
Aravind Eye Institute, 14
Arunachalam, Dr V.S., 19, 70
Azad, Maulana Abul Kalam, 35
Aziz, Shaukat, 119
Bachchan, Jaya, 129
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), 74, 139
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 13, 20
Bhatnagar, R., 89
Bihar assembly, dissolution of, 125-29
Bihar, mission for, 55
Bokaro Steel Plant, 23, 141
Bose-Einstein laboratory, 103
Bose, Subhash Chandra, 35
Bush, George W., 121
Bush, Laura, 121
C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar, 82
Cape Town, 103
capital punishment, 133-34
Central Hall of Parliament, 14, 15, 33
Chandrayaan, 76-77
Children’s Science Congress, 107
Chinnadurai, Prof., 14
Chitrakoot PURA, 115-16
Circular Error Probability (CEP) test, 80
Coconut Wheeler Island, 80
Congress party (INC), 12, 20, 134, 135
Turning Points Page 13