1. From your point of view what could prove to be the most dynamic driving force towards our country's development?

Krishna Kumar, 1st Year CS, AITEC, Amritapuri

Ans: The most dynamic driving force for development is the Parliament announcing that India will become a developed nation by 2020. This will ignite billion minds.

2. Sir, you had promised us that India will become a developed country by 2020. Can you emphasize on the roles that has to be played by the youths of our country

- Deepthi M. Prabhakaran, 3rd year B level, AICT, Amritapuri

and

3. As a student, how can I contribute my own share for fulfilling your dream of future India?

Anand N., 12th Std. Amrita Vidyalayam, Kodungallur

Ans: As a student you can definitely contribute by fixing a goal in their life, concentrate to combat and overcome the hurdles and achieve excellence. They must imbibe moral values. They should aspire to become entrepreneurs. During holidays students can teach poor and underprivileged children and create a mission for them. They can plant trees and contribute towards improving ecological balance. These activities will collectively lead towards development and prosperity.

4. The current education system has almost washed away the 'agni' that was in us initially. Can you suggest an effective way to re-fuel the 'agni' in us so that we would be able to contribute at equal impulses as your vision would be in 2020.

- Deepthi M. Prabhakaran, 3rd year B level, AICT, Amritapuri

and

5. Sir, Swami Vivekananda was always keen in the problems of youth. He was so stern when he says that we have to produce LIONS and not slaves. Sir, what change can you implement in our present educational system to produce LIONS out of our youth?

Lakshmi

Ans: My idea of education is to bring out the creativity of the individual. Definitely, I do not want the education system to bring out lions, because lion is a man eater.

6. What is the role that you envisage for an ideal politician in making India a developed country?

-Mithun K., 2nd Year B level, AICT, Amritapuri

Ans: A responsible politician gives visionary policies. Like Mahatma Gandhi gave the political policy of "quit India" or salt satyagraha and we got freedom with experienced and responsible political leaders. Now the second vision for the nation should be development of the nation to remove poverty.

7. Sir you have talked and written about your vision and dream of a prosperous and strong India. Could you please tell us about the response you have received to your perspective from the different classes of our society.

- Akhilesh M, 2nd Year B Tech

Ans: I have visited 23 states and met a large cross section of people. All of them are anxious to see a happy, prosperous and safe India. I met MPs and I presented India 2020 twice in the Parliament. The Prime Minister has announced in his Independence Day speech that India will become a developed nation by 2020 and the government will work for it. .

8. In what ways Science and Religion can coactively help India to achieve its vision of being a developed nation by 2020

Sharada Ramakrishna, 2nd year B.Tech. AITEC, Bangalore

Ans: Science and spiritual force can co-exist. That means religion has to graduate itself into spiritual force.

9. Will education system in 2020 can get rid of unemployment, terrorism, corruption and poverty?

- Puneet, 2nd year B.Tech. AITEC, Bangalore

Ans. It is possible by combination of education with value system, religion transforming into spiritual force, economic development in an integrated way will lead to national development. We will definitely get enlightened citizens in a nation of billion people.

10. What role religion can play in India's development?

Arun K. R., 12th Std. Amrita Vidyalayam, Perumbavoor

Ans: Religion must graduate into spirituality and unify the minds of people towards the cause of national development.

11. Can we have an educational system in which the students can think independently ?

- Krishnaraj, 2nd Year ECE, AITEC, Amritapuri

Ans: The real purpose of education is to to bring out the creativity among young minds.

13. Being a person of such caliber as to have achieved more than one can dream of in a life time, we are going to ask you a very difficult question. Could you select one achievement of so many, that you could place as a pedestal higher than others, for th

- S. Sreebala, 2nd year CS AITEC, Amritapuri

Ans: It is true I was happy in 1980 when my team put the satellite in the orbit, India's first satellite. It is true in 1989, I was elated when my team succeeded in launching AGNI IRBM and it reached its target. In 1998 when India became a nuclear weapon state that also gave me more happiness. There is something above happiness that is when the material developed for AGNI was used for making Field Reaction Orthosis (FROs) and when a child walked with a 300 gm FRO in place of a 3kg and saw the tears of joy from her parents. The feeling I got was bliss.

14. Everyone has some role models. Who is yours?

- Sandeep, 2nd year B.Tech. AITEC, Bangalore

Ans. Our country is producing large number of professionals in engineering, medicine and other streams. If some of them go abroad w should not get perturbed. Such people have linkage with their families and academic institutions. Choice lies with the individual. Spirit to serve the nation should come from within.

15. Indian Science and Technology has a very good future But Indian politics should not interfere. What is your opinion? Don't you think Indian political system is hindering the growth of our technology?

- Ganesh B.S., 2nd year B.Tech. AITEC, Bangalore

Ans: My experience indicate that Indian scientists and technologists are to be empowered by their own establishment chiefs or heads. Political vision assists development of science and technology.

16. What are the lacuna's in making our Aerospace systems to be at par with NASA and how can we contribute towards it?

Puneet, 2nd year B.Tech. AITEC, Bangalore

Ans: (a) India is progressing well in the spacecraft launch vehicle programmes and space missions.

17. What is the main ingredient needed for a women to overcome all the social adversities and emerge successfully ?

Ramya, 2nd year B.Tech. AITEC, Bangalore

Ans: Women education is the most powerful tool for overcoming the social adversities. Another important tool is the determined mind.

18. India is proud to be one among the 5 members in ELITE. Is it possible to evolve a technology wherein anti-social elements and their movements can be closely kept track of? Could this load to an evolution of biotechnology for peace and harmony?

- Mamta, 2nd year B.Tech. AITEC, Bangalore

Ans: There is no linkages between bio-technology, peace and harmony. Peace and harmony is the state of mind. It has to be created through value based education for youth upto the age of 20, by father,mother and the teacher.

19. How do you feel when people like Bill Gates donate for the cause of AIDS in India? Do you feel happy that they are helping in our fight against such diseases or do you feel sad that we are unable to do anything regarding such circumstances

- Sai Prasanna Kumar, 2nd year B.Tech. AITEC, Bangalore

Ans. Nation spends every year 300 thousand crores for various tasks and projects. In this type of allocation AIDS announcement by various philanthropists is a drop in the ocean. But it clearly shows the good intention.

20. How could spirituality and science go hand in hand in present Indian set up?

Dheeraj, 11th Std

Ans. Both science and spirituality are directed towards establishment of truth. One is in the material world and other is in the spiritual world. Establishment of truth itself should make an individual happy.

21. What was your inspiration to write 'Wings of Fire'?

Suraj R., 11th Std. Amrita Vidyalayam, Ernakulam

Ans: My inspiration was I have worked with thousands of engineers and staff everywhere. I found two things. Every one can contribute for the nation, if given a properly defined task and demanded. And I have observed that people who did not have proper background of education, by sheer hard work and intelligence they have excelled. So I want to convey human mind is a powerful tool and providing challenge to it leads to blossoming.

22. What is the one incident in your past that has an indelible mark upon you?

Devipriya Soman, 12th Std. Amrita Vidyalayam, Calicut

Ans: Failure of 1st SLV launch taught me how to face the failures and how to convert failures into success. That incident revealed the presence of the leader in the organization.

23. What is your scientific opinion about Amma's unnatural powers?

Soumya M. C. 2nd Batch, B.Sc. Nursing

Ans: My experiences with Amma shows that she has natural powers of compassion and love. She transforms the human mind and removes the pain.

24. How do you evaluate your position of President of India as a scientist?

Mini Joseph 2nd Batch, B.Sc. Nursing

and

25. According to Mahatma Gandhi, we can feel the God through our life. Likewise, what is your concept about God?

Vinod A. C. 2nd Batch, B. Sc. Nursing

Ans: India has generated a Vision Document VISION 2020. Fortunately, I participated in the evolution of this document. This is a technology driven vision. This happened when I was a scientist. As a President, I have the responsibility to implement it. Removing the pain of others is a God's mission.

26. Sir, you have been closely connected with rocket launching and conquering the sky. Sir, what do you think is more meaningful - whether to conquer the sky or conquer the minds?

Abhilash K.

Ans: It has never been my ambition to conquer the sky or the human mind. Always my aim was how to use the strength of each individual human being and their minds for the progress of the nation.

27. Sir, it says that is religion is like alcohol. But alcohol when taken in small doses can do good. How can you make a change so that the religion can be given to people in acceptable and better doses.

Lakshmi

Ans. I am of the view religion must graduate into spiritual force. Alcohol in small quantities will lead to addiction.

28. Sir, the people are mislead through wrong and sub standard advertisements through T.V. and other medias. Can you make some control on these so that the young generation can escape from the clutches of the selfish motivated business men

Prema G

.Ans: I have seen lot of young people around me and very rarely they find time for indulging in TV advertisement or internet publicities. But it all depends on what is the mission of the person.

29. A foolish man can destroy the whole world, but even thousands of intelligent ones cannot rebuild it. Can you do something on this.

Reshmi V. R.

Ans: It is true that foolish man can cause destruction. But God created human being he gave the Faculty to think what is right and what is wrong. I recall a saying of the year 1486 by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola an enlightened thinker God said : "We have made thee neither of heaven nor of earth, neither mortal nor immortal, so that with freedom of choice and with honour, as though the maker and molder of thyself, thou mayest fashion thyself in whatever shape thou shalt prefer".

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