Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Transform State into 'knowledge society'

By Our Special Correspondent

The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, discussing a point with the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, at the launch of `knowledge connectivity' between the Anna University and affiliated colleges on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the university in Chennai on Saturday. Looking on are the Governor, P.S. Ramamohan Rao (left), and the Vice-Chancellor, E. Balagurusamy. — Photo: N. Sridharan

CHENNAI Dec. 14. The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, today urged Tamil Nadu to work towards innovation and wealth generation and transform the State into a `knowledge society'.

Agriculture combined with the food processing industry, info-entertainment, space and information technology were some of the areas it could concentrate on to emerge as an economic leader, he said addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of the Anna University. The President formally inaugurated `knowledge connectivity' between the university and some affiliated colleges.

Recalling his dream of India emerging as a superpower by 2020, Dr. Kalam said that to achieve this, each State had to contribute. Laudably, Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, he said, had a vision of making the State the country's top-performer. A recent publication, "How are the States doing-2002?", gave Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra a "composite A" ranking for their achievements in infrastructure, investor-friendliness, reach of the mass media, law and order and high value farm production.

It would be possible to achieve Tamil Nadu's dream of emerging as a topper. But it required hard work and innovation. If achieved, Tamil Nadu could become a "knowledge society," whose hallmarks were a high performing human capital and innovative technology, transparent governance and everyone working towards wealth generation.

Addressing students among the audience, Mr. Kalam dwelt on his favourite topic, urging the youngsters to dream. Dreams should transform into thoughts and then into action. The President lauded the Anna University (of which he was professor emeritus before becoming President) for emerging as the country's largest technical university, and its efforts at providing connectivity to all affiliated colleges and telemedicine facilities, using the connectivity. Dr. Kalam used the connectivity to converse with engineering students in Nagercoil and Tirunelveli, dwelling on how "thinking gives knowledge and thinking is progress."

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Transform State into 'knowledge society'
• TNCC meets today, amid all-round dissatisfaction
• Police probing Colombo visit by MDF ultra
• 'Sangeetha Kala Nipuna' conferred on Kanyakumari
• Ex-minister dead
• Conversion law being misused to divide people: CPI (M)
• Mani defence ridiculous: Swamy
• DPI demands CBI probe into Nagappa death
• Cong. calls for White Paper on Cabinet shuffles
• Thambi Durai, Sundaram lose party posts also
• Jayalalithaa inaugurates telemedicine network
• Kanyakumari cadres shell-shocked

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu