Hyderabad, November 15: Former president APJ Abdul Kalam has called for a progressive reduction in the number of people below poverty line in a phased manner and be brought to zero by 2020.
He was addressing senior officers of the Higher Defence Management Course at the College of Defence Management here today.
Kalam expressed the hope that with the continued impetus to economy, India could realise at least 10 per cent growth rate in the next ten years. The results of economic liberalisation and growth measures being initiated by the government were beginning to show now, he said.
Though the Indian economy was in the ascent phase, the growth was not fully reflected in the quality of life of a large number of people of the country, he regretted and said the mission of transforming India into a developed nation could be achieved with focus on on five core sectors: agriculture and food processing, education and health care, information and communication technology, quality and reliable infrastructure including power and transport, and self reliance in critical technologies. Referring to his Provision of Urban Amenity in Rural Areas (PURA) mission, Kalama said that with this approach, the core competencies in the rural sector would be harnessed for development of the economy.
He said that he was happy that his three dreams of space research programme of ISRO, Agni missile programme and DRDO and PURA had taken shape as vision, mission and realisation and became the national mission. Commandant of College of Defence Management Rear Admiral VS Batra also participated in the programme
—Agencies