Address at the 175th Year Celebration of Scottish Church Collegiate School, Kolkata

Evolution of Enlightened Citizens

I am happy to participate in the 175th year celebrations of Scottish Church Collegiate School, Kolkata. My respects to Rev Dr. Alexander Duff and the Great Rajaram Mohan Roy who were responsible for forming the nucleus of the Scottish Church School with five boys in the year 1830. This institution had a pioneering role in imparting knowledge to the people of Bengal since the dawn of 19th century. I am delighted to know that this collegiate school has produced many distinguished personalities who are contributing in different disciplines in India and abroad. My Greetings to all of you. I would like to discuss with all of you on the topic "Creativity in Teaching".

Where are we in the galaxy?

Where are we now? We have assembled here for participating in the 175th year celebration of Scottish Church Collegiate School. Kolkata is a small dot on the earth. Earth is a representative of the solar system. Earth constantly rotates around the Sun.

Earth while orbiting around the Sun keeps on rotating around its own axis. While doing so, how much time the earth takes to complete one rotation. One of you please answer. Earth takes twenty four hours for completing one rotation on its own axis. This is how night and day is created. Apart from what does earth do? Earth also orbits around the sun. How much time does it take for this orbital motion? 365 days. i.e. one year.

Your Scottish Church Collegiate school has orbited around the sun hundred and seventy five times. This is the importance of hundred and seventy five years. Let me pray the almighty to provide continuous growth and prosperity in education to Scottish Church Collegiate School for many thousands of years.

What one should be remembered for?

When the students join the schools, it is important for the institutions to see that what they should be remembered for? If the institution can develop enlightened citizens and moral leaders through value based education then the institution will be remembered ever. The institution should create necessary environment to enable the students to transform into enlightened citizens.

Evolution of Enlightened citizens

National development, is a collective process, and has to be accomplished through the constructive efforts of enlightened citizens. The evolution of enlightened human beings is indeed a big challenge for the world community. I was asking myself, what will be the components of such a mission? There are three components to that. The first component is education with value system, second is religions graduating into spiritual forces to bring universal brotherhood and the third is poverty eradication by attaining economic prosperity through a national vision.

Education with Value System: The best part of a young person is his or her childhood in school and the best time spent is 0800 Hrs to 1600 Hrs in the school. The prime learning environment is 5th to 16th years of age. The student spends approximately 25,000 hours in the school campus. Of course, at home, love and affection are imparted but again most of the time of the day is spent in preparing school?s homework and study, eat, play and sleep. Hence the school hours for children are the best time for learning and need best of environment, mission oriented learning with value system. I still hear the echo from Bestolozzy, a great teacher?s saying, ?give me a child for seven years. Afterwards, let the God or devil take the child. They cannot change the child.? That is the great confidence of the teacher. What a golden mission a school can have. All the more, the teachers are in the center of the mission. We need hundreds and thousands and lakhs of committed teachers, who can shape the minds of our youth. Technology can also play a part to propagate good teaching through tele-education. The best of dynamic triangle is child, teacher and parents. For parents and teachers, school campus and home have to have an integrated mission: education with value system. If the child misses the value-based education in the school, no government or society can establish a transparent society or a society with integrity.

The Nations will target development milestones in a spirited environment instead of spending tremendous energy and time in problems initiated by small aims. This is the essential environment need for transforming India into a developed nation.

Religion transforming into spirituality: A message, I have received is that most Indians experienced and old, energetic and middle-aged, young and innocent, they all look to religion for solace and safety. I have also visited great many religious places and houses of worship throughout the length and breadth of this great country and I have met many of our religious leaders. The religions are like exquisite gardens, places full of surpassing beauty and tranquility, like sacred groves filled with beautiful birds and their melodious songs. I truly think that religions are beautiful gardens. They are enchanting islands, veritable oasis for the soul and the spirit. But they are islands nevertheless. How can we connect them so that the fragrance engulfs the whole universe? If we can connect all the islands with love and compassion, in a 'garland', we will have a prosperous India and prosperous world.

Poverty eradication through a national vision: Now I would like to discuss what is needed at this juncture. Nearly 700 million people of India live in the rural areas in 600,000 villages. Rural prosperity depends upon building up both ?content? and ?connectivity? simultaneously. Connectivity of village complexes providing economic opportunities to all segments of people is an urgent need to empower the rural sector. The essential needs of the villages today are water, power, road, sanitation, healthcare, education, communication and other services needed for sustainable entrepreneurship and quality of life. For achieving this we need to establish 7000 PURAs (Providing Urban Amenities) cluster across the country, which will be a major source of rural enterprise development and employment generator.

Essential Connectivities through PURA: The integrated methods, which will bring prosperity to rural India are: the physical connectivity of the village clusters through quality roads and transport; electronic connectivity through tele-communication with high bandwidth fiber optic cables reaching the rural areas from urban cities and through internet kiosks; knowledge connectivity through education, vocational training for farmers, artisans and craftsmen and entrepreneurship programmes; these three connectivities will lead to economic connectivity through starting of enterprises with the help of banks, educational institutions, micro credits and marketing the products. My visualization of that competitive Developed India profile by 2020 is as follows:

Profile of Competitive India

1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.

2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution of energy and quality water.

3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony, absorbing technology thereby resulting in sustained wealth generation leading to higher employment potential.

4. A Nation where education 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 and scientists all over the world.

6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all the billion population and the communicable diseases like AIDS/TB, water and vector borne diseases, Cardiac diseases and Cancer are extinct.

7. A Nation where the governance uses the best of the technologies to be responsive, transparent, easily accessible and simple in rules, thereby corruption free.

8. A Nation where poverty has been totally alleviated, illiteracy and crime against women are eradicated and the society is unalienated.

9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful and happy.

10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in, on the earth and brings smiles on a billion plus faces.

These are the ten dimensional transformations needed for competitive India thereby Developed India and we have to work for. As you all know, India has a vision ? India 2020. That is before the year 2020, India has to become developed nations and the country has human resource and natural resources, I have discussed in detail in my website: .

When I see you all the students I would like to conclude the event I have witnessed during my South Africa visit, particularly I saw a magnanimity in victory in a great leader, let me share with you.

Conclusion: Magnanimity in Victory

I met a great personality who was responsible for the freedom of South Africa. Particularly for the young people, you can learn two lessons. They are: indomitable spirit and virtue of forgiveness. He is none other than Dr. Nelson Mandela.

Cape Town is famous for its Table Mountain; it has got three peaks called Table Peak, Devil Peak, and Fake Peak. Between the peaks it was a beautiful sight throughout the day, sometimes dark clouds and sometimes white clouds embracing the peaks. Table Mountain is very close to the sea coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We traveled by helicopter to Robben Island from Cape Town in 10 minutes flight. By fast powered boat it will take 30 minutes to reach the Robben Island. When we reached the Island, except sea roaring, the whole island, was a silent island symbolizing the thought: this is the place the freedom of individual was chained. We were received at the Island by Mr. Ahmed Kathrada a South African, who was a co-prisoner. What surprised me was this: can you imagine a tiny room, where sleeping and all human needs have to be fulfilled. It has to be remembered that Dr. Nelson Mandela, who was 6 feet tall was imprisoned in that room for 26 years ? fighting against the apartheid. The major part of his life was spent in this silent Island. He used to be taken for quarrying in the nearby mountain for a few hours in bright sun. This is the time his sight got damaged. In spite of his body being tortured, he revealed to the world the indomitable spirit in him. This is the time he evolved a manuscript of freedom in tiny letters every day, when the jail wardens went to sleep. This small tiny lettered manuscript finally became the famous book of Mandela ? A long walk to freedom?.

It was a great event for me to meet him in his house in Johannesburg. Dear friends, I would like to share with you, when I entered Dr. Nelson Mandela?s house, I saw his three dimensional form with cheerfulness: the mighty man who got the freedom for South Africa from the tyranny of apartheid. And also a person when he became the President of South Africa he gave the people freedom to move, freedom to live in South Africa to those people who specialized in apartheid and ill-treated and put him in jail for 26 years. Nelson Mandela accepted them as equals citizens who ill treated them practicing apartheid. I felt that, I am touching the hand of a Mighty Soul. When he started walking he used to have a walking stick, he discarded the walking stick; I became his support ? walking stick. Dear friends, a big lesson that we learnt from this personality Dr. Nelson Mandela which is explained in one of the Thirukkurals written 2200 years before.

which means, for those who do ill to you, the best punishment is returning good to them.

Now I would like to administer the Oath for enlightened citizenship. Are you ready?

Ten point oath for enlightened citizenship

1. I will love whatever profession I take up and I will try to excel in it.

2. From now onwards I will teach at least 10 persons to read and write those who cannot read and write.

3. I will plant ten saplings/trees and ensure their growth.

4. I will go to rural and urban areas to reform at least five persons from the habits of addiction and gambling.

5. I will take responsibility for removing the pain of ailing persons.

6. I will participate in the mission of realizing the economic strength of India by combining it with an education with value system and by transforming religion into a spiritual force.

7. I will not support any differentiation on account of community or language.

8. I will always be a friend of the mentally and physically challenged and I will work hard to make them feel normal.

9. I will celebrate the success of my country and my people.

West Bengal is well known for freedom movement, for scientific innovations, literary and poetic achievements. Dear young friends, time has come for the West Bengal to become a pioneer for another big movement. This movement has to start from our hearts, from home and from schools. Our nation in spite of all our best natural and human resources is haunted by corruption in public life, power and money. Only youth can change the situation. I will request you to take a following oath.

OATH:

I will lead an honest life free from all corruption and I will set an example for others to adopt a transparent way of life.

Will you take up this movement towards corruption eradication right from your home?

Let me once again greet all the members of the Scottish Church Collegiate School on the occasion of 175th year of celebration. My best wishes to all of you for the success in the mission of promoting excellence in education.

Questions asked by the students of Scottish Church Collegiate School, Kolkata

1. Common people are scared about the destructive power of nuclear energy. How would it be made to serve the common people?

Bitan Bhar, Class X

Ans. There are number of applications of nuclear energy to serve the common people. It can be used in medical applications, increasing the life of grains and vegetables, electrical energy generated by nuclear power plant is a clean energy. We have already got nearly 4000 MWe electric power. We are also installing a number of power stations. It is expected that we will have at least 20,000 MWe electric power through nuclear energy by the year 2020. This is how the nuclear energy can serve the common man.

2. What is the latest development of Indian Missile Programme? Would you like to say something about your contribution?

Avhik Khanra, Class IX

Ans. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is the latest addition to the missile programme. It flies at three times the speed of the sound. There is no comparable missile in the world market. It has been tested 10 times tested and all test have been successful. It can be launched from multiple platforms. Navy has placed order for this system.

3. What is global warming and what danger would it pose to mankind?

Saikath Basak, Class VII

Ans. The progressive gradual rise of the Earth's surface temperature caused by the greenhouse effect in which Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere allow short wavelength solar radiation to reach the Earth but retain radiation of longer wavelength, which causes warming of the atmosphere. Water vapour and carbon dioxide are among the main greenhouse gases. Global warming is responsible for changing the global climate patterns. For example timeliness of the monsoon, temperature at different places, humidity in different places get changed leading to unpredictability of the weather pattern.

4. How do you fare the progress of Indian science is compared with that of other countries?

Debo Malya Chatterjee, Class X

Ans. India has made considerable advancement in Science and Technology in many areas such as agriculture, dairy, space technology, nuclear energy, ICT, Pharma and automobiles. IN many of these areas they are comparable to the technologies available in foreign countries. For example the Indica Car is plying in London roads. We are exporting 18 billion dollars worth of ICT products. We have got the capability to launch any type of satellite in any orbit.

5. What is Indian Mission to Moon?

Prabaha Roy Class V

Ans. Indian Mission Moon is called Chandrayan. An instrumented satellite will be orbiting around the moon to gather data on various characteristics of the Moon and search the materials on the surface. This mission is scheduled for 2007-08.

6. What is the future India?s power programme? How could it meet the huge need of people?

Jayantho Basu, Class IX

Ans. Presently we are generating over 100 thousands megawatts of power. Whereas we will be needing nearly 300 thousands megawatts of power by 2020. This has to be generated through hydro-electric system, solar energy, nuclear energy, thermal power plants and other forms of renewable energy.

7. What is your secret of success in life?

Pradipto Mondal, Class VI

Ans. Sweat, Sweat and Sweat. I remember the advice given to me by my Guru Prof Satish Dhawan while entrusting the SLV-3 project to me. He said if you don?t do anything there is no problem. When you do an important mission there will always be some problems. You should not allow the problem to become your master, instead you should become the master of the problem, defeat it and succeed. This is applicable to all of us.

May God bless you.