Non-linear technology propels growth

I am delighted to participate in the Golden jubilee celebrations of Thiagarajar college of Engineering (TCE), Madurai. My greetings to the Chairman, Principal, faculty members and the students of Thiagarajar College of engineering for successfully creating a pool of 15,000 engineers in various disciplines during the last five decades. I congratulate the founders for creating such a robust education framework which has gained its reputation for engineering education in Tamilnadu. Particularly, TCE’s efforts in focusing research and development in the areas of wireless technology, Vision system and thin film fabrication is note worthy. I congratulate TCE for setting a theme for each engineering discipline for bringing the faculty and students together in the form of SIG (Special Interest Group) to focus in their area of work and research towards achieving the goal in that theme. Also I appreciate the patented work on Plastic Road technology by TCE and its implementation in various Road projects in Tamilnadu successfully. As a part of Academic and industry tie-ups with DRDO, BARC, ISRO, Honeywell and other 25 industries and exclusive TIFAC CORE Programme TCE is carrying out number of projects in the areas of wireless technologies, Information and communication technologies, aerospace engineering, microwave integrated circuits, sensors and machines. Particularly, I am happy to see the progress towards achieving patent in the areas of Aircraft landing technologies to identify the water logging in the ground and alert the pilot to avoid disaster.

Inventions and discoveries have emanated from creative minds that have been constantly working and imaging the outcome in the mind. With imaging and constant effort, all the forces of the universe work for that inspired mind, thereby leading to inventions or discoveries. Higher the number of creative minds in an organization, the best results of innovation in all the three sectors of the economy will emerge. I am sure TCE will concentrate on the development of innovative and creative minds who will be contributing to our societal transformation missions.

I would like to talk on the topic “Capacity building leads to competitiveness”.

You are all in the mission of capacity building among our youth, who have to face the global competitiveness today. Indian economy is in the ascent phase. Of course, technology is one of the very important factors, which has helped in our economic growth. When I was studying the Global innovation report for the year 2007, I found that as per Global Innovation Index US is ranked 1;Germany 2; UK-3; Netherlands-9; and India is 23. We are constantly in the process of improving. There is a relationship between innovation index and competitiveness. Even though India is 23 innovation index, our ranking in global competitiveness index is 48.

Let me share with you friends, the type of India’s profile in the year 2020, that the people of our country aspire and that we need to attain by implementing the missions at every level of society, institutions, organizations and the government with the peoples movement. I visualize:

1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.
2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water.
3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony.
4. A Nation where education with value system is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination.
5. A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors.
6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all.
7. A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free.
8. A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated.
9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.
10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership.

Good teaching emanates from Research. The teachers’ love for research and their experience in research are vital for the growth of any institution. Any Institutions is judged by the level and extent of the research work it accomplishes. This sets in a regenerative cycle of excellence. Experience of research leads to quality teaching and quality teaching imparted to the young in turn enriches research.

I would like to share some of the research areas where we can focus on:

1.In the energy sector, increasing the solar photovoltaic cell efficiency from the existing 15% to 45% using silicon as a base with Carbon Nano Tube is an important research challenge. Scientists in reputed laboratories in the world have established the fact that the alignment of the CNT with the polymer composites substrate is the key issue and this aligned CNT based PV cells would give very high efficiency in photovoltaic conversion. The polymer composites increase contact area for better charge transfer and energy conversion. In this process, the researchers could achieve the efficiency of about 50% at the laboratory scale. The intensity of research in Indian research institutions has to be enhanced to realize commercial production of CNT based Photovoltaic cells.

2.India has to go for nuclear power generation in big way using thorium based reactors. Thorium, a non fissile material, is available in abundance in our country. Intensive research is essential for converting thorium for maximizing its utilization and generating electric power through thorium based reactors.

3.Proteomics is the study of all the proteins expressed by the genome of a cell. It is the logical extension of genomics. Proteomics helps to understand the basic biological processes critical to normal cellular functions as well as the development of diseases. It identifies the essential components of these processes and exploits these components as targets in the development of new methods to prevent or treat diseases. The type of work involved is huge and challenging, and much bigger than the Human genome programme. There is a national programme in proteomics. This has to be given thrust with cooperation of International Scientific community.

4.There is much research and development and progress in testing of vaccine in the country for prevention of HIV/AIDS disease. It is indeed a big challenge for life science scientists to have an integrated vaccine development leading to production in three years time.

5.Stem cell research through three areas such as Adult stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells, and embryonic stem cells has to be pursued on a mission mode for finding cure for many diseases.

6.In many places in our planet, we experience severe earthquakes resulting in loss of life, loss of wealth and in some cases it destroys the decades of progress made by the country and its valuable civilizational heritage. India has earthquake problems periodically in certain regions. It is essential for us to work on mission mode research for forecasting the earthquake using multiple parameters using precursors such as pre-shock conditions, electromagnetic phenomena prior to final rupture and atmospheric and ionospheric anomalies.

7.The quantum of rainfall in a particular area for a particular cloud condition within a specified duration is not being determined by the present monsoon prediction system. Heavy rains in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad in our nation during the last few years and Katrina hurricane in US has created enormous loss of life and property. This brings out the necessity for global monsoon research for determining intensity and quantum of rain in a particular cloud condition through a validated prediction system with detailed research. With this system scientists should be able to provide the information for the particular cloud condition, how much rain will come in what period through the use of Polorimetric radar.

Solutions to these seven research areas: first two relating to solar power and nuclear power area, third relating to healthcare, fourth relating to HIV/AIDS, fifth relating to stem cell research, sixth relating to forecasting of earthquake and seventh relating to precision forecasting of rain content for particular cloud condition are challenging areas for the youth which will provide multiple opportunities in the field of engineering, technology, biosciences and healthcare, energy, disaster management and also allied research in each of these disciplines leading to design, development, production and marketing missions.

Friends, Thiagarajar college of engineering has been one of the leading technological institutions in the Tamilnadu. How will it meet the challenge in the coming century? Based on my visits to all the States and Union Territories in the country and 16 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa as the President and meeting over 1.5 million youth, I realize that all the youth irrespective of which country they belong to, aspire to live in a peaceful, happy, prosperous and safe nation. What does it mean? It means that economic prosperity alone is not sufficient. It has to be complimented with the value systems and our five thousand years old civilization heritage which has genetically shaped the Indian people. I personally believe, when the nation is progressing towards economic development, it is also essential to build education with value system drawn from our Civilization heritage. The good human life comes out of the way we live; we may have series of problems. But the billion people have the connectivity which gives us the united strength. To meet the challenges of such missions for the nation, since TCE has come to celebrate Golden jubilee, I visualize TCE have to have the vision for the next few decades. The vision should enrich the institution.

Enriching the institution: Based on my discussions with the scientists, academicians, technologists who were associated with teaching and research, I would like to share with you few typical suggestions which will enrich any institution, particularly TCE in this context.

1. It is essential firstly to identify few brilliant minds in the institution and provide them with the right type of scientific and research environment to pursue fundamental research of their choice.

2. Secondly, facilitating large number of innovative researchers to carry out “Directed Research”, particularly towards alleviation of human suffering and promoting robust health through biomedical engineering, and biomechatronics. The university must also intensify translational research. Biomedical research is a leading area for the future, education and research in this area has to be taken up in partnership with medical institutions.

3. TCE should nurture small startup companies with novel ideas to create global giants leading to the internationally competitive innovative industry in India.

4. TCE should become a research powerhouse of India and become one of the top ten engineering institution in the country.

5. TCE should create a flexible cross-disciplinary structure in the college campus, breaking down the Berlin walls that traditionally exist between different departments.

6. TCE research should be of an innovation comparable to the genesis of Internet, grid computing, innovative algorithms for future nano computing platform and networking systems and gene coded drugs in the near future.

7. Finally, TCE becoming a major catalyst for entrepreneurial boom in the Tamilnadu that would transform graduates of TCE from employment seekers to employment generators. TCE should provide additional entrepreneurship diploma in a specific field when they complete engineering graduation as an additional diploma. Hence TCE empowers the students as innovative entrepreneurs. TCE should bring linkages from the venture capitalist and bankers to fund the innovative ideas of your students.

8. For all these aspects to flourish TCE should encourage faculty members to start collaborative research with top 10 universities and industries of the world.

9. TCE of the 21st century has to look for an out of the box solution for attracting the best talent in research, innovation and teaching. To enable the above TCE may come up with the new scheme creating Knowledge HUB by selecting about 100 researchers from various parts of the country who could be nurtured for 2 to 3 years, under the guidance of world renowned scientist from India and abroad. Research problems may be oriented to the current and future needs of our national development.

When you aspire to enrich TCE, you should also work for creating the Global Human Resource Cadre which will be needed not only servicing the needs of India but also the needs of many countries in the world.

At present India has five hundred and forty million youth under the age of 25 which will continuously be growing till the year 2050. In the coming decades, India needs large number of talented youth with higher education for the task of knowledge acquisition, knowledge imparting, knowledge creation and knowledge sharing.

Between now to 2050, two important events will be taking place in our country, India would have become a developed nation by 2020 through an integrated development plan in 5 key areas where India has core competence. India would also have realized Energy independence by 2030. During this period, the youth population which accounts for 54% of the total population of the country will be continuously growing till 2050, which will be unique to India. The youth power is indeed a great power, particularly the ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and under the earth. This presents an opportunity to develop a “Global Human Resource Cadre” which will be an essential resource for not only for India but for many countries in the world. TCE will have to work in partnership with other engineering institutions for increasing the through put of the engineering education system, so that the over all out put from university system is increased from the existing 10% to 15% by the year 2015, 20% by the year 2020, 25% by the year 2025 and 30% by the year 2030. Now let us discuss innovation and creativity which is vital for national development.

Since I am in the midst of Professors, faculties, Scientists, Technologists, I thought of sharing with you an incident about Sir CV Raman –a Nobel Laureate in Physics for discovering Raman Effect. Raman was in the first batch of Bharat Ratna Award winners. The award ceremony was to take place in the last week of January, soon after the Republic Day celebrations of 1954. The then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad wrote to Raman inviting him to be the personal guest in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, when Raman came to Delhi for the award ceremony. Sir CV Raman wrote a polite letter, regretting his inability to go. Raman had a noble reason for his inability to attend the investiture ceremony. He explained to the President that he was guiding a Ph.D. student and that thesis was positively due by the last day of January. The student was valiantly trying to wrap it all up and Raman felt, he had to be by the side of the research student, see that the thesis was finished, sign the thesis as the guide and then have it submitted. Here was a scientist who gave up the pomp of a glittering ceremony associated with the highest honour, because he felt that his duty required him to be by the side of the student. It is this unique trait of giving value to science that builds science. This environment is very important for nurturing science and research.

With these words, let me once again greet all the members of Thiagaraja College of Engineering on the occasion of their Golden Jubilee Celebrations. My best wishes to all the members of TCE success in their mission of building the human capital needed for national building tasks.

May God Bless you.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam,
20.01.2008