I am indeed delighted to participate in the inauguration of the Vivekananda Institute of Value Education and Culture and the youth convention organised by the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial, Porbandar. My greetings to the organisers, Principals, teachers, students, parents and other distinguished invitees participating in the function. When I am with you, I am reminded of the statement by Swami Vivekananda, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God", this purity of heart will bring the vision of God. It is indeed the theme of whole music of this universe. This thought has indeed influenced my conscience. I would like to talk to you on the topic "indomitable Spirit".

Dear Young friends, Just now I inaugurated the Vivekananda Institute of Value and Culture. When I was preparing the talk for addressing the youth a unique letter comes to my mind. This letter I saw in Jamshedpur at Tata Exhibition written by Jamsetji N Tata on 23rd Nov 1898. I would like all of you to know about this letter which I am going to read. It gives a very important message to the youth. I quote:

"Dear Swami Vivekananda ,

I trust, you remember me as a fellow -traveller on your voyage from Japan to Chicago. I very much recall at this moment your views on the growth of the ascetic spirit in India, and the duty, not of destroying, but of diverting it into useful channels .

I recall these ideas in connection with my scheme of Research Institute of Science for India, of which you have doubtless heard or read. It seems to me that no better use can be made of the ascetic spirit than the establishment of monasteries or residential halls for men dominated by this spirit, where they should live with ordinary decency, and devote their lives to the cultivation of sciences - natural and humanistic. I am of opinion that, if such a crusade in favour of an asceticism of this kind were undertaken by a competent leader, it would greatly help asceticism, science, and the good name of our common country; and I know not who would make a more fitting general of such a campaign than Vivekananda. Do you think you would care to apply yourself to the mission of galvanazing into life our traditions in this respect? Perhaps you had better begin with a fiery pamphlet rousing our people in this matter. I should cheerfully defray all the expenses of publication.

23rd November 1898

Jamsetji N Tata

Friends do you know who has written this letter in the year 1898 November 23 and to whom. Jamsetji N Tata has written this letter to Swami Vivekananda asking him to take the leadership of a Research Institute for Science in India. Imagine the type of courage and vision a progressive industrialist Jamsetji had to write to a spiritual leader. This strength he derived from one important incident which took place during a voyage from Japan to USA.

At this point let me share the meeting between Swami Vivekananda and Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata during a ship journey. It happened in 1893. A ship was sailing Japan to USA. There were hundreds of people in that ship including two significant personalities. Swami Vivekananda and Jamsetji Tata were in that ship. Swamiji asked Jamsetji for what mission he was traveling. Jamsetji said that he wanted to bring steel industry to India. Swami Vivekanda blessed him. He suggested steel technology had two components ? one is steel science and the other is manufacturing technology. What can you bring to this country in material technology ? you will have to build material science within the country. Jamsetji was thinking and thinking and made a decision. Earlier when Jamsetji went to London he asked for technology transfer for Steel Plant. UK steel manufacturers looked at Jamsetji and said that if Indians make steel, Britishers will eat it. Jamsetji crossed Atlantic Ocean, talked to Americans and brought manufacturing technology for steel. And the Tata Steel was established in Jamshedpur. He seeded and worked for the steel plant. Jamsetji is not there now, but 7 million tones per annum steel is rolling out. The visionary Jamsetji gave one portion of his asset for starting a science institute today known as Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore. The message I would like to convey to this audience, dream gives vision, Vision gives thoughts and thought leads to actions. Jamsetji brought two establishment to this country ? first one was steel plant and the other was an educational research institution. Hence have a goal, persevere and work hard to succeed.

Now you will realise the significance of the letter from Jamsetji to Swami Vivekananda. A visionary like Jamsetji with the blessing of Swamiji established Indian Institute of Science in 1905 with his funds. The IISc born out of a vision of great minds is the foremost scientific research institution providing post graduate education. This institution as envisaged by Swami Vivekananda dreamt, has one of the best material science lab., providing the best of research results for development and production of material for various R&D labs and industries. Also Indian Institute of Science is a world class institution in various areas for physics, aerospace technology, knowledge products, bio-science and bio-technology. This is the one institution where convergence of technology like bio-technology, information technology and nano-technology is emerging. The results will have tremendous influence in improving solar cell efficiency and healthcare, particularly drug delivery system. This institution also participated in the research and development of space programmes, defence programmes and also many societal missions.

Mission of the Nation ignites the minds of the youth

Our nation is going through a major challenge of uplifting of 260 million people who are below the poverty line out of our billion population. Also we have to give better life for many millions who are on the border line of poverty or just above the poverty line. They need a decent habitat, they need work with reasonable income, they need food, they need speedy access to health care, and they need education and finally they need a good life and hope for a better future. Our GDP is growing at more than 8% per annum on an average. Whereas, the economists suggest that to uplift the people from below the poverty line, our economy has to grow at the rate of 10% per annum consistently, for over a decade.

Integrated action: To meet the need of one billion people, we have the mission of transforming India into a developed nation. We have identified five areas where India has a core competence for integrated action: (1) Agriculture and food processing, (2) Education and Healthcare, (3) Reliable and Quality Electric power, Surface transport and Infrastructure for all parts of the country, (4) Information and Communication Technology (5) Strategic sectors. These five areas are closely inter-related and if implemented in mission mode, will lead to food, economic and national security of our country. The enabling environment provided by the nation you may like to know.

Enabling Environment

Bharat Nirman Programme: The Union Government has evolved the Bharat Nirman as a four-year business plan for building infrastructure, especially in rural India. It will have six components, namely, irrigation, roads; water supply, housing, rural electrification and rural telecom connectivity. The broad goals of Bharat Nirman would be:

� bringing an additional 10 million ha of land under assured irrigation

� providing road-connectivity to all villages having a population of 1000 (or 500 in hilly/tribal areas)

� constructing 60 lakh additional houses for the poor

� providing drinking water to the remaining 74,000 habitations that are uncovered

� reaching electricity to the remaining 1,25,000 villages and electricity connections to 23 million households

� Providing telephone connectivity to the remaining 67,000 villages.

The programme, has been estimated to cost Rs. 1740 billion (Rs. 1,74,000 crore) and is to be completed in the next four years. The government has allocated an additional Rs. 250 billion (Rs 25,000 crore) for social sector programmes during the current financial year. Bharat Nirman will involve Panchayati Raj Institutions in its planning and implementation. The challenging task here is the evolution of the management structure for a mission mode operation through PURA where an integrated development is possible.

Enhancing the rural credit: Bankers have agreed to increase the agriculture and agro processing credit to Rs. 2000 billion (Rs. 200,000 crore) from the existing Rs. 900 billion (Rs. Ninety thousand crore) within the next three years in phases. This will include advances for setting up of PURA complexes and small enterprises in PURA clusters.

National Employment Guarantee Bill: Also, to take care of those who are likely to be left behind by development processes and to ensure that there is a safety net, especially in some of the more backward regions of the country, Central Government has come forward with a National Employment Guarantee Bill. This bill provides legal guarantee for at least 100 days of employment to at least one person in every poor household initially in some of the most backward districts of the country. This programme is to be gradually expanded to cover all rural areas. I have suggested that there should be a direct linkage of the infrastructure tasks required for the PURA with the Guaranteed Rural Employment Scheme.

Generation of Employment potential

When you complete certain phase of education you will enter into the dynamics of the society. Of course you will look for a career in any one of the areas, such as research, development, production in the fields of agriculture, industry and service sector including ICT. On 26 Jan 2005, I have presented to the nation a plan for creation of employment potential for 76 million people in eight areas such as Bio-Fuel generation, wasteland development, water harvesting, bamboo mission, textile mission, converting fly ash into wealth generator, healthcare, and village knowledge centre. Now I would like to discuss how you can become entrepreneurs.

Employment Generation through entrepreneurship

There has been a substantial growth in our higher educational system and we are generating over 3 million graduates every year. Particularly, about 3 lakh engineers pass out of various professional colleges. In addition the students who complete 10th and 10+2 class will be around seven million. However, our employment generation system is not in a position to absorb all the graduates passing out from the universities. It leads to increase in educated unemployed, year after year. This situation will lead to instability in the social structure. We need higher education backed by employment opportunities. A multi pronged strategy is needed to make education more attractive and simultaneously create employment potential ? how do we do that?

We can do it: Firstly, the educational system, the teaching process should be such that, the confidence should come to the students ?that we can do it?. The teachers either have to be experienced or lectures can be arranged from successful leaders in agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors. This comes in as a part of teaching and reading the great lives, which succeeded in life, going through series of challenges.

Entrepreneurship Training: The educational system should highlight the importance of entrepreneurship and prepare the students right from the college education to get oriented towards setting up of small enterprises and ventures in our rural areas either individually or jointly, which will provide them creativity, freedom and ability to generate wealth.

Venture Capital: Thirdly, the banking system should provide venture capital right from village level to the prospective entrepreneurs for undertaking new enterprises. Banks have to be proactive to support the innovative products for enabling wealth generation by young entrepreneurs by setting aside the ?conventional tangible asset syndrome?. Definitely this involves certain amount of calculated risks that can be eliminated by making an analysis of successful venture capital enterprises.

Conclusion: Indomitable Spirit

When the students complete the course from the educational institutions and enter into the world of opportunities he or she should have the confidence with indomitable spirit acquired from their teachers teaching and come into contact with great minds. If people think big, a nation becomes great. Particularly the young population of India definitely has self esteem and confidence. The challenge in the missions of the developed India calls for an important, cohesive and focused efforts of the young. For success in any mission what we need is indomitable spirit. Let us study the characteristics of indomitable spirit. It has two components. The first component is that there must be a Vision leading to higher goals of achievement. I would like to recall a couplet from Thirukkural by the Poet Saint Thiruvalluvar written 2200 years ago.

Quote:

It means that whatever may be the depth of the river or lake or pond, whatever may be the condition of the water, the lilly flower always comes out and blossoms. Similarly, if there is a definite determination to achieve a goal, even against insurmountable problems, he or she will succeed.

The second component is the ability to overcome all hurdles coming in the way of mission accomplishment. Many of us have gone through large programmes and projects. We would have experienced that success is not in sight and there are many hurdles. The same poet reminds us at this point of time through another couplet:

It means successful leaders can never be defeated by problems. They become master of the situation and defeat the problems. I consider these two kurals characterize the indomitable spirit. I am sure all of you who have assembled here will rise to the occasion and develop leaders enlightened citizens.

Today the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, let us all re-dedicate ourselves to imbibe his Vision and work for the realisation of his ideas for the growth of our society. With these words I inaugurate the Vivekananda Institute of Value Education and Culture.

My best wishes to all the members assembled here in their mission of acquiring and promoting value based education among all members of our society.

May God bless you.

Question and Answer Session

Meghnathi Rakesh R., Navyug Vidyalaya, Porbandar

1. What would you like us to do for our nation to make it the best in the world?

Ans: (1) Excel in your studies, fix your goal and work for achieving it.

(2) Educate 5 people who cannot read and write

(3) Plant 5 saplings and nurture it.

(4) Conserve energy and avoid wastage

(5) Create a cleanliness drive in your area with the help of other students.

Samani Karishma N, Dr. V. R. Godhaniya College of Arts, Commerce, Home Science & IT, Porbandar

2. What is your opinion about present education system of our country?

Ans: In the present education system, there is a need to reduce the load in the primary classes. They have to be designed to make the children creative. This can be done by making the child learn by doing instead of memorizing. Teachers have to make the child think and do the job.

Parekh Akshay, Std. IX, St. Mary?s School, Porbandar

3. To make India a developed country, population explosion is one of the impediments. Why can't 'Population Explosion' be arrested by enacting 'Two Children Law' under mandatory power in all the states?

Ans: The solution lies in Womens? Education. In whichever states womens? education has been high there is substantial control of population. Your school can take a mission of educating the women in the state.

Trivedi Khushboo, Std. IX, St. Mary?s School, Porbandar

4. Vedas are considered to be the most ancient and perfect literature in the world. The full information about space, medicine, surgery, Tantra-Mantra, science and technology, yoga, yagna, etc. is given in Vedas. In ancient times, students from all over the world came to India to study Vedas in the universities like Takshashila and Nalanda. Today students of our country are going for studies to foreign countries. When will this trend change? It is said that history always repeats. When will this history be repeated? And with the help of these Vedas, can we make our country a super power?

Ans: I would like to recall another incident, which is fresh in my memory. One day I received e-mail from a scientist in Canada, a Professor from Waterloo University by the name, Prof. M. Vidyasagar. In his message he said, he would like to work with me in DRDL on a sabbatical. He joined us just as we were establishing RCI. He was one of the top most experts in the non-linear control system. After working with us for twelve months, when he was going back, he said that he wanted to permanently come to India and serve the nation. The same person had worked in DRDO for over 10 years and setup the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics ? CAIR at Bangalore. Now he is serving in Hyderabad and contributing in a big way to bio-informatics in TCS. Also recently when I addressed the Pravasi Divas they told me that the fifth wave is returning to India.

Parmar Dipesh R., Dr. V. R. Godhaniya college of Arts, Commerce, Home Sci. & IT, Porbandar

5. Why is donation required for higher education in our country? Poor students cannot get the education. Is there any solution?

Ans: Now there are adequate seats in Engineering. Bank are providing loan for students. We have to only see that situation is brought in medical area also.

Dave Mudita, Std. IX, St. Mary?s School, Porbandar

6. Most of us don?t understand science textbooks because they are written in a boring manner, though science is an interesting subject. Is Government/Education Ministry doing something about this?

Ans: Making the subject interesting comes out from the teacher. I would like to explain how my teacher Shri Siva Subrmainia Iyer taught me " How the birds fly"

Divyam P. Antani, M. D. Science College, Porbandar

7. Sir, what is the difference between Missile Man Dr.A.P. J. Abdul Kalam, The President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam & a common man Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam?

Ans: Skills are different for the three jobs. A common phenomenon is being a good human being.

Pandavadara Hanshaben N., Shri M. M. Modhvadia High School, Vadala

8. What is the relation between Science and Religion?

Ans: Science and religion both work toward realizing the truth. They are complementary to each other. Science deals with physical system. Religion deals with spirituality.

Kasundra Tanviben A., Std. XI, Shri Devda High School, Devda

9. What is your view regarding the growing influence of Western Culture on our own culture and what steps should be taken to preserve our Indian culture?

Ans: Some time back, I was reading about Nani Palkhivala's views on present state of affairs in the country. He felt that the values preserved for over 5000 years as foundation of Indian civilisational heritage, such as - politeness, good manners, respect for elders, hospitality, integrity and honesty, cleanliness etc. - are deteriorating steadily in preference to the modern life-style of our urban life modeled on western culture.

While I was in college, I remember the lectures given by highest authority of the Jesuit institution Rev Father Rector Kalathil of St. Joshep�s college, Trichirappalli, Tamilnadu. Every week on Monday, he will take class for an hour. He used to talk about good human beings, present and past, and what makes a good human being. In this class he used to give lectures on personalities such as Buddha, Confucius, St. Augustine, Califa Omar, Mahatma Gandhi, Einstein, Abraham Lincoln including some scientific personalities and moral stories linked to our civilizational heritage. He also used to talk about great personalities living in the father�s lodge and who had made contribution with values in the service of the people. It is essential in the secondary schools and colleges to arrange a lecture by a great teacher of the institution once in a week for one hour on India�s civilizational heritage. This class can be called as a Moral Science Class. That will elevate the young minds to love the country, to love the other human beings and elevate the young to higher planes.

Kotecha Deep J., Std. VIII, Sigma Secondary School, Porbandar

10. Sir, what is the reason that you like to talk to students a lot?

Ans: Students are creative and they have a unbiased mind. The ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful resource on the Earth, above the Earth and under the Earth.

Navhi Shahin Jamaludin, Victoria Jubilee Madressa Girls High School, Porbandar

11. In Private and Government institutes reservation quota is there for backward classes. Is it really worth? Are the backward classes really benefited by this? Inspite of such quota why still the backward classes are not progressing?

Ans: Increasing the seat in all the colleges and providing large number of employment is essential to ensure that nobody is denied the seat in a college or employment.

Jadav Jitendra S., Shree D.D.K.M. Law College, Porbandar

12. Is there possibility to forget Gandhian theory of globalization and privatization?

Ans: The key element in Gandhian theory is to see that globalization and privatization does not lead to lack of employment for any individual in the society. This factor is still valid and we should not fail to provide employment to any individual due to invasion of technology.

Sorathis Sahista M. Hanir, Victoria Jubilee Madressa Girls High School, Porbandar

13. What is your opinion for the economically and educationally backward people in Muslim community?

Ans: 260 million people who are below poverty line belong to different religion and region. All of them have to be uplifted for making India prosperous.

Odedara Bharat K., Ellite Academy, Porbandar

14. Jawaharlal Nehru liked to interact with children a lot. You are the second Indian leader who likes children. What is your message to the Indian children?

Ans: (1) Excel in your studies, fix your goal and work for achieving it.

(2) Educate 5 people who cannot read and write

(3) Plant 5 saplings and nurture it.

(4) Conserve energy and avoid wastage

(5) Create a cleanliness drive in your area with the help of other students.

Krishna Raichura, Cham Memorial English Medium School, Porbandar

15. Why don?t you put ban on vulgar films?

Ans: Control has to come from the parent and school. Children should be regulated by the parent so that they are not exposed in wrong direction.

Langa Shahida, Victoria Jubilee Madressa Girls High School, Porbandar

16. Inspite of so much progress in the field of science and technology, number of qualified people are unemployed. Who is responsible for this?

Ans: What is needed is entrepreneural training for the student in our education system. The education system has to create a sprit that "we can do it". Youth must become employment generator and not employment seekers.

Sodha Hardik B., Dr. V. R. Godhaniya college of Arts, Commerce, Home Sci. & IT, Porbandar

17. Why have we not achieved the expected result to increase the literacy rate in our country, in spite of lot of schemes and efforts made by the Government? In short, where are we lacking behind in implementing such type of schemes?

Ans: Yes. Our aim is to make quality education reach every corner of the country. EDUSAT combined with Universal Tele-education system will enable us to realise 100% literacy. Verma?s story at Darbhanga.

Karia Priti, S.Y.B.A., Gurukul Mahila College, Porbandar

18. Shri Ramakrishnadev has proved through 'SADHANA' that all religions lead to the same universal truth irrespective of the path followed, then why there is so much conflict between various religions?

Ans: There are two parts to a religion. Theology and Spirituality. There is no difference in Spatiality where is the Theology can have many religious dogmas. If we overcome the dogmas and rise to spirituality there is no conflict.

Nakum Balkrishna R., Shri Swaminarayan High School, Porbandar

19. Why do our talents mostly prefer to work in other countries? Can?t they serve our own country?

Ans: There are branded institutions available in the country for carrying out research. Still some people prefer to go to foreign universities. In the last decade there has been consistent effort to improve the infrastructure of many of our laboratories and universities. In a country where 30 million graduates are produced every year if few go abroad for education or employment I would not consider it as a brain drain. Their movement creates connectivity between the family and the institution, which can add to our knowledge base.

Wadher Jayesh K., Std. IX, Shri Swaminarayan High School, Porbandar

20. When will India be the best country of the world?

Ans: Well before 2020. The day all of you believe that You can do it. India can become great.