Forge strong partnership among R

Bangalore, Oct 15 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today called for a strong partnership between Research and Development agencies, academic institutions and industries to achieve India's vision of becoming a developed nation by 2020.

''A strong partnership among these organisations as well as with Government departments will be essential to accomplish the vision of a developed India'', he said.

Addressing Foundation for Unity of Religions and Enlightened Citizenship (FUREC) Programme at Sri Adhichunchanagiri Kshethra, about 100 km from here, he said that to achieve success in the mission of transforming the country into economically developed nation, there was need to achieve success in the areas like agriculture and food processing, education and healthcare, information and communication technology, infrastructure development and self -reliance in critical technologies.

''These areas are closely inter-related and, if implemented in a coordinated effort, will lead to food and economic security as well as national security,'' he added.

Dr Kalam said that the country's GDP was growing at an average rate of eight per cent per annum. However, economists suggest that to uplift the 220 million people, who are living below poverty line, it had to grow at the rate of 10 percent per annum consistently for over a decade.

He said that one of the components through which the rural-urban divide could be bridged and prosperity be brought to 700 million people living in six lakh villages was by implementing Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PUARA) scheme in 7,000 clusters.

Dr Kalam said that through a national vision, using the core-competence of individual nations and partnership of friendly countries, it will definitely be possible, to transform today's developing country of into a developed country as planned.

UNI MSP RS VD HT1905