It’s about four years since APJ Abdul Kalam completed his term as the President, but he still continues to be very active in public life, particularly on issues like the environment and energy security. Explaining what drives him at 79, he says: I would like to see India transforming into an economically developed nation by 2020. I have a dream. The dream is to bring smiles to a billion Indians. This dream actuates me. On World Environment Day 2011, he will be presenting the FE-EVI Green Business Leadership Awards along with Farooq Abdullah, minister for new & renewable energy, in the Capital. On the eve of the awards ceremony, he shares his vision for a sustainable India, including his mission of Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas or PURA, with FE’s Rajiv Tikoo. Excerpts:
One of your most important missions has been the Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas or PURA initiative. How do you assess its scorecard?
PURA is a national mission. We need 7,000 PURA complexes across the nation to cover the 600,000 villages where 750 million people live. This is a mission which requires multiple partners and stakeholders, including government, private sector, NGOs and academic institutions. Many private and government initiatives to create PURAs have been undertaken across the nation and are expanding. The government recently embarked on a mission of creating PURA complexes in nine states.
How can PURA be a vehicle for pursuing sustainable development?
PURA is a sustainable development system, which focuses on four essential connectivities physical, electronic and knowledge connectivity leading to economic connectivity. It needs empowerment of the local population based on the core competencies of village complexes and at the same time preserving their local ecosystems and social harmony.
How robust is PURA as a business model?
PURA strives to be an economically robust model based on empowerment of local citizens and nurturing and creating sustainable enterprises at the local level using maximum local resources. It requires knowledge empowerment of the local population, adding value to their products and services to increase its output, providing and linking to the best markets and incubating business models based on harnessing local competencies. The connectivities of the PURA architecture strive for creation of such a support and facilitation environment to promote economic sustainability. The leadership for PURA can be undertaken by small-scale industry, large industry, medical institutions and universities and it can be run as an economically viable enterprise.
India is constantly struggling to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental protection. How can we get the balance right?
The need of the modern times is to give importance to green business models and green-collar jobs. This would need a mix of research, production and marketing of green products to make them not only an ecological necessity but also an economically sound proposition. Our academic institutions, research laboratories, industry and government need to come together in this mission.
The balance can be achieved by two actions over a decade, which will make India an economically developed and environmentally acceptable nation. India will become a pioneering nation by taking two actions: going for energy independence and realising a fossil fuel-free industrial and transportation system. The energy mix to be realised includes solar, hydro, wind, nuclear and biofuels. This has to be achieved by 2030. Second action: I have started a mission of planting billion trees by billion people and for the world, 10 billion trees. It should be remembered that a mature tree absorbs 20 kg of carbon dioxide and releases 14 kg of oxygen.
These two missions one on energy independence and the another on planting of billion trees will bring a balance between economic growth and environmental protection.
Definitely, these missions will make the nation liveable and acceptable to the world.
Do you see companies as a problem or a solution in pursuing sustainable development?
There is a need for leaders and institutions to appreciate the significance of sustainable development. This is the challenge for the entire world. Education on sustainable development is needed right from the university level with special training for leaders. PURA is a unique model for sustainable development. I am trying to propagate this programme. The corporate sector can undertake PURA as its corporate social responsibility, which will facilitate sustainable development of the entire nation.
How can the corporate sector get more engaged in national development programmes?
A trend to participate in the national development has set in among corporates. A possible programme which embeds a business proposition with sustainable development goal is PURA. Since we need 7,000 PURA complexes spread across the country, corporates have a great opportunity to partner in such a development programme. Recently, I inaugurated the State Bank of India fellowship programme, which has an objective of engaging youth in rural development missions. It is a good beginning and, I am sure, many more programmes will emerge.
Where do you see the country in another 10 years?
India definitely has the potential to become an economically developed nation by 2020. For that, our GDP growth has to rise to 10% per annum and remain so for a decade. The next important resource we need is to enhance confidence of 600 million youth I can do it. This collective energy will lead to we can do it and consequently India will do it.
Source: The Financial Express
Published on 4 June 2011