Kalam exhorts UPTU students to emulate his development model

While speaking at the seventh convocation ceremony of the Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) on Tuesday, former president APJ Abdul Kalam exhorted the students to help in bridging the gap between the rural and urban sectors by emulating his development model, which is titled as ‘Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas’ (PURA).

As part of his efforts to bring urban amenities to rural areas, the development model was successfully experimented by Mr. Kalam at the Periyar Maniammai College of Technology for Women in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu many years back.

He went on to explain that the project, when implemented, effectively converted about two hundred acres of wasteland into cultivable area together with innovative water management scheme.

The development model has been evolved with the aim of generating employment opportunities in the rural sector by creating many entrepreneurs with the active support of self-help groups.

The former president now wanted the UPTU students to reproduce the development model and he expressed hope that such a contribution would be of immense proportion, as the total strength of students studying in different campuses in the state would come to more than three lakh.

In his speech, that was simultaneously heard at all the 14 nodal UPTU centres through video conferencing, the former president wanted the university authorities to design a unique academic course largely on integrated development with due emphasis on projects like PURA.

He added that he had personally undertaken the mission of ensuring the establishment of seven thousand such platforms all over the country that would promote the development of PURA complexes.

If aspiring engineering and management students undertake the demonstration of such projects on the efficiency of sustainable development models, these complexes are sure to contribute towards the nation’s gross domestic product.