Educational institutes must help in rural development: Kalam

Asks academic & scientific community to set up 100 PURAs by Jan '07

President A P J Abdul Kalam has called upon educational institutions in the country, especially those in rural areas, to participate in rural development by replicating the PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) model.

Stating that colleges can participate in rural development, the President set a mission for the academic and scientific community to set up 100 PURAs by January 2007, the next session of the Indian Science Congress. He was here to inaugurate the focal theme, 'Integrated Rural Development: Science and Technology', on the third day of the Indian Science Congress.

In the PURA model, an academic institution is at the centre that provides electronic and knowledge connectivity to a cluster of villages, thereby leading to economic connectivity.

Citing the example of three PURAs set up by a women's engineering college at Vallam in Tamil Nadu, a medical institute at Loni in Maharashtra and a research institute at Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, the President said, "In all the three operational PURAs, I have observed that technology and scientific methods of working play a very important role."

He also said that an investment of Rs 500 crore would be required for the establishment of 100 PURA clusters, at Rs 5 crore each.

Asserting that PURAs were not mere experiments for social transformation, Kalam said, "The results could be discussed in the 2007 Indian Science Congress in the form of successful papers." The number of such PURA clusters required was 7,000, he said.

Identifying some of the key areas for sustainable rural development through science and technology in his presentation, Kalam said, "Science and technology focus is required for making the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) sustainable and remunerative to the 700 million people of the country living in 6,00,000 villages."

On the occasion, former director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and former secretary, department of agricultural research education (DARE), was conferred the Norman E Borlaugh award, instituted by Coromandel Fertilisers.

He was chosen for the award for his significant contributions to the cause of excellence and relevance in agricultural research.

The President also presented the 'Young Scientist Award' to 14 researchers from across the country. The President later participated in the National Virtual Congress of Farmers and the second convocation of the Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy for Rural Prosperity (NVA).

He interacted with farmers at Village Resource Centres (VRCs) at Addakal in Andhra Pradesh, Anandwan in Maharashtra, Pokaran in Rajasthan, Koraput in Orissa and Annavasal and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu.