Kalam's roadmap to achieve Vision 2020
The people's president. The missile man of India. The lynchpin of Pokhran-2. The bottom-up visionary. The accolades do not wholly define the versatile APJ Abdul Kalam, India's 11th president. In an interview with DNA, Kalam reiterates his vision for India, his route map for people's involvement, the nation's commitment and youth partnership. In essence, Kalam architects a launchpad for India:
Kalam: India is transforming into an economically developed nation. Vision 2020 has to remain the same. Two new situations have emerged: one is PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) and the other is the economic turbulence. For both new aspects, PURA is a solution. To challenge the economic turbulence, our economic development policy has to be wise enough to activate agricultural and rural economic development. This is possible only by establishing 7,000 PURA complexes covering 600,000 villages.
PURA calls for establishing physical connectivity (roads), electronic connectivity (information and communication technology, ICT), and knowledge connectivity (enhancing core competence of villages). If these three connectivities are provided, economic connectivity (employment potential) will be enhanced. Fortunately, working PURAs are available in many parts of the country. PURA can overcome the impact of the economic crisis and accelerate realisation of Vision 2020 goals.
DNA: Most vision projects fail because implementation is not adequately architected, and processes well defined? How do you plan to architect the execution plan?
Kalam: India 2020 Vision has been presented in parliament and also at governors' conferences. I presented a detailed mission and action plan for 12 states to transform them into economically developed entities.Many states are implementing the development profile. The commitment is there. It has to be reinforced through periodic discussions and commitment in parliament.
DNA: In what way would NGOs and other civil society groups contribute to your grand plan?
Kalam: India 2020: A Vision For The New Millennium, authored by me and Dr YS Rajan, shows how to realise the vision. This chapter indicates what the industry can do; what the small industry can do; what MNCs can do; what R&D laboratories and academic institutions can do. The role played by NGOs has been discussed. For example, the role prescribed for the media is to spread the message of success, however small the successes. The media has to build an image of India with hundreds and thousands of heroes and heroines who are changing the country's destiny.
As India's billion people transform into an economically developed nation, one-sixth of the population of the world will come out of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. This will result in India providing tremendous influence to developing and developed worlds.
DNA: How will the process of communication work? How, for instance, would the grand vision plan be translated into a portable idea that everyone can instantly recall and implement?
Kalam: I have been discussing my visualisation of a distinctive profile of India by 2020.
DNA: Very often, the last mile is the longest. When and how do you see the citizen getting involved?
Kalam: Many components of India Vision 2020 are being implemented by way of planning and action by industries, enterprises, chambers of commerce and industries, and academic institutions.
Indian 2020 Vision has five components: agriculture and food processing; education and healthcare; information and communication technology; reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all parts of the country; self-reliance in critical technologies. These five areas are inter-related and will lead to food, economic and national security..
DNA: How do you propose to audit the change agenda?
Kalam: Performance quality has to be monitored from the level of panchayat to parliament and Planning Commission.
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