Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the presentation of dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards
Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee
at the presentation of dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards
I am happy to be amidst you
today in this prestigious institute which has excelled in higher education and
provided leadership for the management and business education in the country.
The fusion of excellence and relevance in this campus, which has been exhibited
through the creative and innovative ideas of young children from all over the
country, makes this institute magnetically charged with ideas and energies.
2. At the outset, I would like
to congratulate the young award winners whose creative ideas and innovations
are at display at the exhibition organized by National Innovation Foundation.
It is heartening to see so many creative young minds tackling some of the
challenges faced by our society at such a young age. This certainly augurs well
for the future of our country.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
3. Indian Institute of
Management, Ahmedabad has had an illustrious history. It has excelled in
academics and given the best of the management talent to India and to the whole
world. Today, you can find the alumni of IIM-Ahmedabad working in corporates,
governments, public services and in many other areas. The alumni of this
institute have expanded the brand IIM-Ahmedabad globally. Today, I call upon
the faculty, students, and alumni of IIM-Ahmedabad to continue to engage with
creative minds from industry, business, entrepreneurs, society leaders and with
those who work at the grassroots. The Institute must continue to address the
pressing issues confronting today’s society. It must strive to be a beacon of
knowledge, nurture other institutions with generous mentorship, and maintain a
culture that blends the drive for excellence and performance with the spirit of
collaboration and compassion.
4. IIM-Ahmedabad has been
committed to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. The Institute’s Center
for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship has been doing path-breaking
work in strengthening the ecosystem of innovation in Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur,
and other cities all over India. I understand this institute is launching a
course focused on entrepreneurship in its PGP curriculum. This programme offers
scholarships to students and encourage them in pursuing entrepreneurial dreams
early in their careers. Elective courses such as Shodh Yatraand Rural
Immersion Module encourage students to experience how innovation is
sparked at the grassroots and among the underprivileged. These kinds of
innovative programmes will help in realizing the entrepreneurial goals
identified through "Start-up India, Stand-up India” initiative.
5. National Innovation
Foundation and IIM-Ahmedabad, has given a global identity to the Indian model
of social innovation. An appreciable effort has been made by various student
clubs for community outreach activities. One of the intended objectives of this
community outreach has been to learn from the disadvantaged section of the
society and also to encourage them to dream bigger. I would encourage the
Institute to continue investing energy and resources in nurturing innovations
that accelerate the nation’s economic progress and create a sustainable
inclusive society.
6. Recognizing the centrality
of innovation to economic and social progress, President’s Secretariat has
taken a number of initiatives to bring inclusive innovations to the center
stage of country’s consciousness. Innovation scholars, writers, artists,
inspired teachers and students from central institutions are being invited to
stay at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for a period of two weeks. These In-Residence
Programmes are aimed to celebrate the spirit of innovation and creativity and to
recognize and learn from the success stories of the individuals who have
contributed to the cause of society and the nation in their own way.
7. Innovation is key to
economic development and reflects the maturity of a nation and society to
respond to the emerging needs and challenges. Innovation is a continuous
process and needs to be nurtured at each and every step. Realizing the
importance of innovation in the life of a nation and society, Rashtrapati
Bhavan has started the tradition of hosting the Festival of Innovations. The
first Festival of Innovations was held in Rashtrapati Bhavan during March, 2015
in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation. This Festival
endeavored to link grassroots innovators with innovative minds at different levels
in diverse fields. The second Festival of Innovations will be held in March,
2016. I take this opportunity to invite the participants who are here today, to
participate in the Festival of Innovations and take your ideas to a global
level.
8. Innovation, higher
education and industry need to be closely networked for maximum benefit of the
society. Any innovation happening either at the grassroots level or in the
higher educational institutions must be linked to the industry for
commercialization of the innovation. For this, as the Visitor of 114 central
institutions, I have been asking the institutions to establish strong
industry-academic inter-linkages. This is one of the ways to readily bring the
innovations in the market. For this to happen, I have been encouraging the
institutes of higher learning to collaborate with the institutes and industry
within India and abroad for creating a conducive ecosystem for nurturing
innovation and research. In the recently held Visitor’s Conference at
Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Indian academic institutions concluded 43 MoUs with the
industry in diverse fields. I hope that these kinds of industry-academia
collaborations will help the academic institutions in aligning their activities
with the needs of the industry and society.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
9. I am told that National
Innovation Foundation received over 28,000 submissions for the Dr. APJ Abdul
Kalam IGNITE Competition, 2015 from all the States and Union Territories of the
country. It is a great tribute by the children of our country to late Dr. APJ
Abdul Kalam, recipient of Bharat Ratna and former President of India. The
renaming of Award in the memory of Dr. Kalam is a fitting tribute to him, who
always ignited the young minds through his visionary leadership and creative
ideas. I compliment the National Innovation Foundation for this initiative.
10. Today, I visited the
innovation exhibition and found lots of ideas and innovations which can address
the needs of developing society, particularly the elderly people and weaker
sections of the society. The children have proved that innovative spirits can
dispel any amount of inertia and replace it with exciting new possibilities. I
am very optimistic about our future when I see the younger generation which
does not want to live indefinitely with unsolved problems. Innovations from
creative youngsters are the best examples of "Samvedna se srijansheelta”
(innovation from compassion or empathy). India is a country of 1.2 billion
creative minds. The constructive use of these billions of minds can free the
Indian society from many of the problems which we are facing today. It is for
each one of us as an individual to make a commitment and to dedicate oneself
for solving the problems of society and country.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
11. IIM-Ahmedabad is a world
class institution and a leader in the field of management education. I am happy
that IIM-Ahmedabad is mentoring IIM-Nagpur to create a new leader in the field
of management education. Today, this institute has taken a leadership role in
making suggestions for improving higher education system in India and for
nurturing innovation ecosystem. The suggestions made today here show the
commitment of this institute in two very important and critical drivers of the
economy – higher education and innovation. I will always look forward to see
the leadership flowing from this great institute in the areas of work relevant
to governance, public policy, innovation, higher education and
entrepreneurship.
12. I once again compliment
all the young award winners and hope that they will continue to keep thinking
creatively and ensuring an inclusive and innovative future for our country. I
wish you all a great future and hope that you will spare no effort in contributing
towards inclusive development of India.
Thank you.
Jai Hind.
*****************
India, a country of 1.2 billion creative minds,
constructive use of these minds can free Indian society from many problems we
face today, says President
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee
presented Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards - 2015 instituted by the Department
of Science and Technology, Government of India and the National Innovation
Foundation today (November 30, 2015) at IIM, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Speaking on the occasion, the President saidIndia is a country of 1.2 billion creative minds. The constructive use of these billions of minds can free the Indian society from many of the problems which we are facing today. It is for each one of us as an individual to make a commitment and to dedicate oneself to solving the problems of society and country.
The President called upon the faculty, students, and alumni of IIM-Ahmedabad to continue to engage with creative minds from industry, business, entrepreneurs, society leaders and with those who work at the grassroots. He said the Institute must address the pressing issues confronting today’s society. It must strive to be a beacon of knowledge, nurture other institutions with generous mentorship, and maintain a culture that blends the drive for excellence and performance with the spirit of collaboration and compassion.
The President said National Innovation Foundation and IIM-Ahmedabad, has given a global identity to the Indian model of social innovation. He encouraged the Institute to continue investing energy and resources in nurturing innovations that accelerate the nation’s economic progress and create a sustainable inclusive society. The President said innovation is key to economic development and reflects the maturity of a nation and society to respond to the emerging needs and challenges. It is a continuous process and needs to be nurtured at each and every step. Innovation, higher education and industry need to be closely networked for maximum benefit of the society. Any innovation happening either at the grassroots level or in the higher educational institutions must be linked to the industry for commercialization of the innovation.
The President said the children of India have proved that innovative spirits can dispel any amount of inertia and replace it with exciting new possibilities. He feels optimistic about the future when he sees the younger generation which does not want to live indefinitely with unsolved problems. Innovations from creative youngsters are the best examples of “Samvedna se srijansheelta” (innovation from compassion or empathy).
Speaking on the occasion, the President saidIndia is a country of 1.2 billion creative minds. The constructive use of these billions of minds can free the Indian society from many of the problems which we are facing today. It is for each one of us as an individual to make a commitment and to dedicate oneself to solving the problems of society and country.
The President called upon the faculty, students, and alumni of IIM-Ahmedabad to continue to engage with creative minds from industry, business, entrepreneurs, society leaders and with those who work at the grassroots. He said the Institute must address the pressing issues confronting today’s society. It must strive to be a beacon of knowledge, nurture other institutions with generous mentorship, and maintain a culture that blends the drive for excellence and performance with the spirit of collaboration and compassion.
The President said National Innovation Foundation and IIM-Ahmedabad, has given a global identity to the Indian model of social innovation. He encouraged the Institute to continue investing energy and resources in nurturing innovations that accelerate the nation’s economic progress and create a sustainable inclusive society. The President said innovation is key to economic development and reflects the maturity of a nation and society to respond to the emerging needs and challenges. It is a continuous process and needs to be nurtured at each and every step. Innovation, higher education and industry need to be closely networked for maximum benefit of the society. Any innovation happening either at the grassroots level or in the higher educational institutions must be linked to the industry for commercialization of the innovation.
The President said the children of India have proved that innovative spirits can dispel any amount of inertia and replace it with exciting new possibilities. He feels optimistic about the future when he sees the younger generation which does not want to live indefinitely with unsolved problems. Innovations from creative youngsters are the best examples of “Samvedna se srijansheelta” (innovation from compassion or empathy).
***
The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee addressing at the inauguration of the Amul's State-of-the-art Feed Manufacturing Plant, at Kapadwanj Tuluka, Kheda in Gujarat on November 30, 2015.
Speech by the Hon’ble President of India at the inauguration of Amul’s
cattle feed manufacturing plant
The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee visiting after inaugurating the Amul's State-of-the-art Feed Manufacturing Plant, at Kapadwanj Tuluka, Kheda in Gujarat on November 30, 2015. The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Smt. Anandiben Patel is also seen.
1. It is my privilege to be here today to
inaugurate the state-of-the-art cattle feed manufacturing plant of AMUL. At the
outset, let me congratulate AMUL for achieving yet another milestone in its
illustrious journey.
2. I am also glad to have this opportunity to visit Gujarat, a vibrant state which has shown the way forward for comprehensive socio-economic development. Gujarat is a historical land having major sites dating back to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Lothal is considered to be one of the earliest seaports in the world. Coastal cities like Bharuch and Khambat were important trading centres in the Maurya and Gupta empires. Gujarat played a leading role in India’s freedom struggle. Some of the tallest leaders of the movement belonged to this region. The Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi served as the nerve centre of the freedom movement.
2. I am also glad to have this opportunity to visit Gujarat, a vibrant state which has shown the way forward for comprehensive socio-economic development. Gujarat is a historical land having major sites dating back to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Lothal is considered to be one of the earliest seaports in the world. Coastal cities like Bharuch and Khambat were important trading centres in the Maurya and Gupta empires. Gujarat played a leading role in India’s freedom struggle. Some of the tallest leaders of the movement belonged to this region. The Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi served as the nerve centre of the freedom movement.
The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurating the Amul's State-of-the-art Feed Manufacturing Plant, at Kapadwanj Tuluka, Kheda in Gujarat on November 30, 2015. The Governor of Gujarat, Shri O.P. Kohli, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Smt. Anandiben Patel and other dignitaries are also seen.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
5. Before the beginning of cooperatives in the dairy sector, the milk marketing system was controlled by contractors and middlemen. In the absence of any sellers’ union, it was a buyers’ market where dairy farmers were forced to sell milk at throwaway prices. In 1945, the Bombay Milk Scheme was started under which the Government of Bombay entered into an agreement with a private dairy unit - Polson’s - to supply milk from Anand in Kaira district to Bombay after pasteurizing. The arrangement was satisfactory to all parties except the farmers for whom the exploitative conditions at the hands of milk contractors continued.
6. On the advice of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and the efforts of Morarji Desai, milk producers’ co-operative societies were organized to collect milk from their member-farmers. A fifteen-day milk strike when not a drop of milk was sold to the milk merchants turned successful. The milk societies federated into a Union - the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, Anand, or AMUL Dairy - that was formally registered on December 14, 1946. Its objective was to provide proper marketing facilities for the milk producers of the district. AMUL Dairy began pasteurizing milk in June 1948 for the Bombay Milk Scheme with a handful of farmers in two village co-operative societies producing about 250 litres a day. However by the end of 1948, 432 farmers had joined village societies. The quantity of milk handled by AMUL Dairy increased to 5,000 litres a day.
7. On October 31, 1964, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri came to Anand to inaugurate the first cattle feed plant of AMUL. He preferred to spend a night in a village at Kheda district interacting with farmers. The prevailing milk shortage in the country and import dependence for dairy commodities prompted him to replicate the AMUL model on a much wider scale. A national body – the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) – was created to draw up a dairy development programme. This task was entrusted to Dr. Verghese Kurien who was then managing AMUL. Due to the untiring efforts of Dr. Kurien and his team, “Operation Flood” as the initiative was called, became the largest dairy development programme in the world. It was, therefore, the AMUL movement that steered our nation towards prominence on the global dairy map, making India the world’s largest milk producer.
8. AMUL Dairy is now a group under the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation. This apex marketing body has 3.6 million dairy farmers in Gujarat with an average daily milk procurement of 16 million litres and annual turnover of over 22,000 crore rupees. AMUL is today the largest liquid milk brand in Asia and the largest food brand in India. It is also India’s largest exporter of dairy products.
Friends:
9. To my mind, AMUL personifies the spirit of selfless dedication and far-sighted leadership. Though your journey since 1946 from a ‘drop’ to a ‘flood’ of milk was challenging, it was made possible because of your ability to be sensitive and proactive to the needs of farmers and being dynamic to the changing circumstances. The institutional structure called ‘AMUL Model’ or ‘Anand Pattern’ that emerged from the dairy cooperative movement created a billion rupees worth brand while embracing the poorest of poor farmers. Through logistics innovation, AMUL has ensured easy availability of high-quality, packaged milk and dairy products across the country.
10. As the entire value-chain from milk production and processing to marketing is owned and controlled by dairy farmers or farmer-owned institutions, this model has ensured remunerative prices for the farmers and has insulated them from price fluctuations. In the last one year, the sharp decline in global dairy commodity prices has reduced milk prices to dairy farmers by 20 to 50 percent worldwide. In pleasant contrast I am told, farmers associated with AMUL Dairy have received higher prices for the milk they have poured into their cooperative. These efforts have brought smiles in the faces of Indian farmers, improving their quality of life while meeting the nutritional requirements of the nation.
11. AMUL Dairy from the very beginning has been a trend-setter in adopting improved technology. Breakthrough dairy technology enabled AMUL to spray-dry buffalo milk into products such as cheese, butter, condensed milk and baby food. For the health and well-being of the cattle population, it started a mobile veterinary dispensary in 1950. For meeting the nutritional requirements of cattle, it established the cattle feed plant in 1964 where the technology of cattle feed in pellet form ensured its efficient usage.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
12. Dairy is one sector where cooperative efforts complemented by Government support have worked wonders. For instance, the long distance transportation of milk in India has been made possible through the National Milk Grid. This process innovation has helped liquid milk and milk products find better markets in the country. The Government has now prioritized its support for the dairy sector through a National Dairy Plan, being managed by NDDB. Given that the productivity of our milch animals is still low compared to global standards, an outlay of 2,242 crore rupees will be invested in the first phase of the plan. It is expected that the resultant growth in milk production will fully meet the estimated growth in demand for milk and milk products in our country.
13. In this context, I recollect what Dr. Kurien had once said and I quote: “While we have been largely left alone to manage our business, various governments have also played an extremely supportive role. However, for the cooperative sector to flourish in the entire country, the Union and State governments can further help by providing a level-playing field, in terms of their macro-economic policies. It is imperative for our policy-makers to recognize that cooperatives can serve as instruments of development and therefore need all the possible support.” (Unquote) The dairy farmers can rest assured that they will continue to receive all support from the Government.
Friends:
14. Gandhiji, while envisaging the necessity of cooperative societies for his programme of ‘Gram Swaraj’, had mentioned and I quote: “Cooperative societies are ideally suited organizations not only for developing village industries but also for promoting group effort by the villagers” (unquote). The spirit of cooperation espoused by the pioneering farmers of AMUL triggered a socio-economic revolution in rural India transforming an entire nation. The winning combination of the AMUL experiment has been the convergence of farmers’ wisdom, democratic set-up, professional management, and adoption of right technology. It is a model worth emulating, the followership of which could address problems in other areas faced by our farming community.
15. AMUL is truly the pride of India. The onus is on the current generation of farmer-leaders, professionals and other stakeholders to expand the AMUL movement in a way that benefits farmers across the board. I urge you all to ensure that this world-class institution continues to progress with the same passion and commitment, and with the same values of integrity, efficiency and honesty which the founding fathers had instilled in AMUL. With the starting of this modern plant today, AMUL would revolutionize cattle feed manufacturing to address the nutritional requirements of the cattle population. I once again compliment you on this occasion and wish Godspeed for your endeavours.
Thank you.
Jai Hind.
*****
AMUL - pride of India, personifies spirit of selfless dedication and
farsighted leadership, says President
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee
inaugurated a state-of-the-art cattle feed manufacturing plant of AMUL today
(November 28, 2015) at Kheda, Gujarat.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said AMUL is truly the pride of India. It personifies the spirit of selfless dedication and far-sighted leadership.
The President said the onus is on the current generation of farmer-leaders, professionals and other stakeholders to expand the AMUL movement in a way that benefits farmers across the board. He urged all to ensure that this world-class institution continues to progress with the same passion and commitment and with the same values of integrity, efficiency and honesty which the founding fathers had instilled in AMUL.
The President said the journey of AMUL since 1946 from a ‘drop’ to a ‘flood’ of milk was challenging. It was made possible because of AMUL’s ability to be sensitive and proactive to the needs of farmers and dynamic to the changing circumstances. The institutional structure called ‘AMUL Model’ or ‘Anand Pattern’ that emerged from the dairy cooperative movement has created a billion rupee worth brand while embracing the poorest of poor farmers. Through logistics innovation, AMUL has ensured easy availability of high-quality, packaged milk and dairy products across the country.
The President said AMUL is today the largest liquid milk brand in Asia and the largest food brand in India. It is also India’s largest exporter of dairy products. The President acknowledged the tremendous contribution of the 3.6 million farmers of AMUL family and saluted the 150 million Indian milk producers for their efforts towards nation-building. The President said their dedication, ingenuity, sacrifice and hard work have ensured food security for our country in the critical area of milk and dairy products.
The President said in the last one year, the sharp decline in global dairy commodity prices has reduced milk prices for dairy farmers by 20 to 50 percent worldwide. In pleasant contrast, farmers associated with AMUL Dairy have received higher prices for the milk they have poured into their cooperative. The spirit of cooperation espoused by the pioneering farmers of AMUL has triggered a socio-economic revolution in rural India transforming an entire nation. The winning combination of the AMUL experiment has been the convergence of farmers’ wisdom, democratic set-up, professional management and adoption of right technology. It is a model worth emulating and following the same could help address problems in other areas faced by our farming community.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said AMUL is truly the pride of India. It personifies the spirit of selfless dedication and far-sighted leadership.
The President said the onus is on the current generation of farmer-leaders, professionals and other stakeholders to expand the AMUL movement in a way that benefits farmers across the board. He urged all to ensure that this world-class institution continues to progress with the same passion and commitment and with the same values of integrity, efficiency and honesty which the founding fathers had instilled in AMUL.
The President said the journey of AMUL since 1946 from a ‘drop’ to a ‘flood’ of milk was challenging. It was made possible because of AMUL’s ability to be sensitive and proactive to the needs of farmers and dynamic to the changing circumstances. The institutional structure called ‘AMUL Model’ or ‘Anand Pattern’ that emerged from the dairy cooperative movement has created a billion rupee worth brand while embracing the poorest of poor farmers. Through logistics innovation, AMUL has ensured easy availability of high-quality, packaged milk and dairy products across the country.
The President said AMUL is today the largest liquid milk brand in Asia and the largest food brand in India. It is also India’s largest exporter of dairy products. The President acknowledged the tremendous contribution of the 3.6 million farmers of AMUL family and saluted the 150 million Indian milk producers for their efforts towards nation-building. The President said their dedication, ingenuity, sacrifice and hard work have ensured food security for our country in the critical area of milk and dairy products.
The President said in the last one year, the sharp decline in global dairy commodity prices has reduced milk prices for dairy farmers by 20 to 50 percent worldwide. In pleasant contrast, farmers associated with AMUL Dairy have received higher prices for the milk they have poured into their cooperative. The spirit of cooperation espoused by the pioneering farmers of AMUL has triggered a socio-economic revolution in rural India transforming an entire nation. The winning combination of the AMUL experiment has been the convergence of farmers’ wisdom, democratic set-up, professional management and adoption of right technology. It is a model worth emulating and following the same could help address problems in other areas faced by our farming community.
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