Kalam offers innovative solutions to Mauritius
Port Louis, Mar 13: President A P J Abdul Kalam today (Mar 13, 2006) offered Indian technical expertise to Mauritius for finding 'innovative solutions' to the new challenges faced by the island country in textile, sugar and other critical sectors.
Addressing a gathering of Ministers, Members of Parliament and leaders of various political and social groups here, Dr Kalam said ''we have certain experiences in sugar, textiles and fisheries and are willing to share our research experience'' to help Mauritius to overcome the challenges in these key areas.
Dr Kalam suggested using of Indian cooperative model in helping the country double its per hectare seed cotton productivity.
''Cooperative movements and exploration of by-products like ethnol will help increase sugarcane production for its uninterrupted supply to factories.'' In respect to fisheries, he said there was an urgent need for promoting an integrated approach in deep sea fishing, processing, packaging and marketing at high seas as being done in Iceland, whose economy thrives mainly on fish export.
The President said economically prosperous nations with mighty security forces ''are under different forms of threat, while developing countries with certain value systems are worried about their future.''
''To give youth a peaceful nation, a happy nation, a prosperous nation and a safe nation is indeed an important mission for countries and their leaders. This could be achieved in a three-dimensional doctrine of education with value system, religion transforming into sprituality and economic development for social transformation.''
Dr Kalam said economic development was a vital requirement for all nations. ''India has a vision of transforming into a developed nation by the year 2020. Five areas including Agriculture and Food Processing, Education and Health Care, Infrastructure, Information and Communication Technology and Self-reliance in critical technologies have been identified as missions based on India's core competence for integrated action.
These are the core areas through which India can achive growth rate of 10 per cent annually in order to curb poverty of 260 million people.
UNI