Former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who was in the city on Thursday, reminded students that they had the capacity to bring about impactful change in India.
Addressing a gathering at the Mahindra École Centrale college of engineering, Dr Kalam stressed on the fact that creativity and innovation would be key to sustainable development for all sections of the country.
“What worked yesterday will not work today,” he said adding, “Yesterday, natural resources defined power. Today, knowledge is power. Hierarchy was the model yesterday, but today, it’s about synergy.” The former President also spoke about how information technology would help propagate knowledge sharing — something
that has become a norm now, instead of competitiveness.
“AI (artificial intelligence) can enhance human endeavours, especially in medicine,” he said, giving the example of how doctors were now using technology more than ever to help diagnose serious conditions, like cancer. Talking about the importance of leadership, he asked students to find good teachers, because while “lot of books can be prescribed for studies, but sometimes a good teacher becomes a great book”.
He added that the leader of the 21st century is one who works and succeeds with integrity. Dr Kalam also fielded questions from students, one of whom asked him if he thought advancing technology for arms and ammunition was the only way towards world peace.
“The challenge for planet Earth today is not ‘whose land, whose country’,” he answered adding, “What is important is that we need a livable planet. We need clean air; we need clean water; that means people have to work for a clean planet. To breathe clean air, we need to use clean energy. Knowledge sharing is the most important thing (for this to happen).”
