Ignited Minds

Ignited Minds:-

APJ Abdul Kalam, expresses his dream - desire how he wants to see India as a well developed Nation in his book "", brought out by Penguin. The Document on Technology Vision 2020 is a blue print in this direction. He is the chairman of TIFAC - Technology Information Forecasting And Assessment Control.

Kalam was asked to post a few questions in the website created by Infosys Chairman, NRNM in Oct. 2000. He asked the youth under 20 to answer 3 questions. 1. What would young boys and girls under 20 like to do to make India a well developed country? 2. "When Can I sing a song?. 3. Why do we love anything foreign where as other countries celebrate their own successes?

Among the answers, Kalam rates three as pertinent or as more precise. A young man wrote the best way he can serve India is by imparting lessons as a teacher or join the Army and work as a soldier. The second answer in merit was from a 20 year old lad from Goa " Like an electron ceaselessly move in the orbit, I will work ceaselessly for India's cause. For the second question, Kalam likes the answer from a Atlanta boy who wrote when India becomes capable of imposing sanctions against any country, I shall sing a song". Economic strength brings prosperity along with national strength which will set the tone for singing a song from the heart. Many wrote the need for transparency as a corner stone to see India as a developed Nation and for singing a song.

Kalam remarks in his book that Gandhi set the tone for transparency in every walk of life. In prayer meetings held daily by Babuji, there would be collections for the welfare of harijans and others. The amount collected would be informed to Gandhi. Once information reached Gandhi that there was some paise short in the collections handed over to the official concerned. Gandhi was so upset and went on fast saying that ' this is poor man's donation and we have no business to lose any of it. This example, Kalam writes, as unique example for transparency in public life.

The answer to the third question is linked to the country's competitiveness, the nation's ability to achieve sustained high rates of economic growth. Singapore comes first, next only is USA and India is 59th in this regard. The question is not who would allow us for achieving competitiveness but rather, who can stop us?

When the mind is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is free and where the worlds has not been broken up into fragments, ..........., my father, let my country wake up is what Rabindra Tagore's poem says. Nation is bigger than the Individual. Kalam's message to 1,00,000 young students is Ignite your minds and think big. A teacher once said, Give me a five year old child after seven years, no god or devil will be able to change the child

Kalam is closely associated with Rural development program called PURA. They have introduced dynamic connectivity of four types called PEEK - physics, electronics, economics, and knowledge connections. One more important need for development is tele-medicine for which the driving force is IT. In the CARE hospital in Hyderabad, Kalam witnessed the trials of tele medicine. The novelty in this advancement is that the patient will be at a distant place. Satellite acts as the interacting media and doctors intercept the ECG data transferred as a high resolution image in real time from different hospitals and offer their opinion. Kalam says it is a promising way to offer health care where diagnostic facilities are not available.

Kalam believes that when something is at stake, the human mind gets ignited and the working capacity gets enhanced manifold. Pace of development should be taken up in an integrated manner in a 'misson mode'. Kalam advocates in his books that the mind sets should change. The success will follow.

I have conveyed what appealed to me most after reading " Ignited Minds " which I am afraid can be regarded as subjective opinion by those who had already completed reading the book.