DAY-PRESIDENT 3LST

The President said empowerment through education is
important as it opens many doors of opportunity and the Right
to Education Act has made free and compulsory primary
education for children a fundamental right.
"It is important that secondary education is also
universalised, as we seek to increase enrolment levels in
higher education. This will provide the 'brain power' for the
nation," she said.
Patil said people are living in an age where innovation
was shaping many areas of human activity, new technologies can
enhance agriculture and industrial productivity and efficient
technologies can facilitate the optimum utilisation of
capital, labour and resources.
"We have seen the impact of mobile telephone connectivity
even in our villages. Innovation and invention were always
given weightage as agents of change but perhaps never as high
as now. The categorisation of nations as rich and poor,
developed and developing may well be overtaken by a new
definition of those nations that innovate rapidly, as opposed
to those which do so on a lower scale.
"To be in the forefront of cutting edge technologies,
research and development in all fields must be encouraged and
pursued in the country," she said.
The President said work on the construction of physical
infrastructure must be speeded up as the country needs new
roads, ports, airports, power projects as well as
reinforcement of existing facilities.
"The augmentation will fill the infrastructural deficit
that impedes overall economic growth and is, in many ways, out
of sync with our image of an emerging global player. Our
industries must continue to grow. Indian companies should
persist with efforts to be efficient and globally competitive.
Some are already making their presence felt overseas," she
said.
Patil said the country's agriculture requires a fresh
perspective, with new and radical ideas to steer it towards a
second Green Revolution, so that agriculture production,
productivity and profitability are increased.
"This is essential for our food security as well as
price stabilisation. At the same time, agriculture cannot be
looked at in isolation. It needs to be connected with other
sectors of the economy. Linking industry with agriculture
would provide a basis for growth of industry in the rural
areas and also promote agriculture business," she said. PTI
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