Updated on: Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The government must create a cadre of basic sciences professionals to provide an impetus to students to take up these subjects, APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, has said.
He had already made this suggestion to the government. He said that this cadre could be given posts in the top scientific and educational institutions, so that taking up pure sciences would seem profitable.
A cadre of 300-400 persons could be created, with assured jobs. This would enthuse parents, who had a great influence on their wards' choice of course, to consider basic sciences too, Mr. Kalam said.
Speaking at Meenakshi College in the city on Monday, the former President brought up the issues of developing excellence and uniqueness. Excellence does not happen by accident. It is a process by which individuals, organisations and nations try to better themselves; work on their dreams with focus, undeterred by failures.
Also, fundamental to becoming unique was gaining knowledge that was action-oriented.
When women were empowered, the nation was empowered, Mr. Kalam added. Answering a question, he said the number of women scientists should increase in future, and within a decade, the scientific community would have a good composition of male and female professionals. He urged students to teach five non-literate people to read and write and plant at least five trees.
Meenakshi College for Women was doing a fine job of educating first-generation learners and instilling values and culture of the nation in its students.
K.S.Babai, principal, Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College, and K.S.Lakshmi, secretary, Meenakshi College for Women, spoke.