Talks with Apj Abdul Kalam
Sir, you always say that we must dream big and follow our dreams. What makes one follow one's own dreams? Parents, access or commitment?
A. Dreams are finally nothing but goals or mission in life. In my case I had great teachers in various phases of life. And also my parents, my father and mother were very useful teachers to me throughout their lives. I was the only fellow in the family studying, and their ommitment to me was absolute. The spiritual environment at home shaped me. You should convert your goals and mission to success in spite of problems. That is my lifelong commitment. A. Sir, why do we find 2/3 of India's engineering graduates unemployable? What do you think is the underlying problem?
A. During my recent visit to Canada I visited a university called Waterloo. For an engineering degree students are taught in the classroom for one year, the next year they go to the industry. So two out of four years they spend in the industry. And in the industry they learn to work within the system, it may be the software system or the hardware system, machine system, electronic system, or chemical system. But they learn to apply what they studied at the university. So when they graduate there is good demand for them. They can hit the ground running.
Q. Why, sir, is entrepreneurship and skill development very important to you?
A. We add seven million people every year at 10+2 level and three million graduates every year. So, we inject ten million people into the society every year as employment seekers. This is because entrepreneurship is not taught, either in the secondary school education or in higher education or university education. Entrepreneurship is not part of the curriculum, neither is acquisition of usable skills. That's why I'm saying if 30% people have to procure their skills, that training should be started during the period of education itself.
Q. Sir, what would be three qualities which you think one requires for success in life?
A. I
A. Dreams are finally nothing but goals or mission in life. In my case I had great teachers in various phases of life. And also my parents, my father and mother were very useful teachers to me throughout their lives. I was the only fellow in the family studying, and their ommitment to me was absolute. The spiritual environment at home shaped me. You should convert your goals and mission to success in spite of problems. That is my lifelong commitment. A. Sir, why do we find 2/3 of India's engineering graduates unemployable? What do you think is the underlying problem?
A. During my recent visit to Canada I visited a university called Waterloo. For an engineering degree students are taught in the classroom for one year, the next year they go to the industry. So two out of four years they spend in the industry. And in the industry they learn to work within the system, it may be the software system or the hardware system, machine system, electronic system, or chemical system. But they learn to apply what they studied at the university. So when they graduate there is good demand for them. They can hit the ground running.
Q. Why, sir, is entrepreneurship and skill development very important to you?
A. We add seven million people every year at 10+2 level and three million graduates every year. So, we inject ten million people into the society every year as employment seekers. This is because entrepreneurship is not taught, either in the secondary school education or in higher education or university education. Entrepreneurship is not part of the curriculum, neither is acquisition of usable skills. That's why I'm saying if 30% people have to procure their skills, that training should be started during the period of education itself.
Q. Sir, what would be three qualities which you think one requires for success in life?
A. I