Innovation necessary for changing the fate of India, it should be need based rather than knowledge based: PM Modi

Gandhinagar, Oct 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that need based innovation rather than knowledge based one was necessary to change the fate of the country.

He also said that the country should be alert about any possible rise in digital divide.

Dedicating the new campus of IIT-Gandhinagar and Rural Digital Literacy Campaign in Palaj near here, PM Modi also took a dig at his opponents for opposing bullet train project hoping for electoral gains. The state of the art IIT-G campus is spread in 400 acres and has been constructed at a cost of around 1700 crores. The Rural Digital Literacy Campaign targets at list one person from each of the 6 crore rural families.
On the occasion he started his speech with a witty remark. ‘You all are IITians but I am a Tean ie the one who used to make tea in the childhood a Chaiwala,’ he quipped. He also remembered his taking over as the CM of Gujarat for the first time on this very day (October 7) in 2001 for the first time with no experience of governance and without seeing the assembly before that. He said that he decided to keep on doing hard work and people gave him new responsibilities.

Taking about technological advancement, Modi said that the technological progress in last 50 years was of unimaginable pace and more speedy and than that of 300 years. For any nation to prosper it was a must to connect it with the technology now. ‘Today digital literacy was as important for good governance (Suraj) as the slogan of literacy given by Gandhiji was for attaining self rule (Swaraj) at the time of freedom struggle. The government was committed for good governance and rural digital literacy campaign was a move in this direction,’ he said.

Quoting legendary left-wing ideologue Karl Marx, PM Modi said that he had given the theory of divide between haves and have nots. Though the merit of his philosophy which has now become confined to just a few corners was a matter of scrutiny by the knowledgeable ones, he just want to ensure that such divide should not arise in case of digital literacy. It could be detrimental to the harmony of the society. We should be alert that such a divide should not be created when some people knew the digital ways while many others did not. The campaigns like Digital India and Digital literacy could also guarantee corruption free and transparent governance.

He also talked about JAM wherein J stands for Jandhan A for Adhar cards and M for Mobile phones and said that he was ensuring that the government remain available on their mobile as per peoples needs and through JAM the government was moving ahead on such a development path.

On the occasion he also hit out at those opposing him for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project. ‘It was good that when I gave 400 acres of land for this IIT there were no elections around the corner. Otherwise I would have been opposed by those who were now opposing the bullet train. They would have said that Modi was giving such a large tract of land for IIT when several buildings of the primary education institute in Gujarat were not in good shape,’ he said adding that he was satisfied to see that the IIT G has found a place among top IITs and with its state of the art facilities and competent faculties would become a talking point in the coming times.

PM Modi however lamented the fact that none of the educational institutions in India has despite passage of 70 years since Independence could find a place among top 500 such global institutions. He urged the IIT G to take up it as a challenge. He also said that in the next five years when India attains 75 years of independence such a feat should be achieved. The government was for the purpose ready to give 1000 crores to 10 selected government run and as many private universities. And the one achieves the feat would be made free from all government regulations.
He also talked about the innovative steps taken by Gujarat for creating institutions with a difference. He mentioned world’s only one Forensic Science University, police training Raksha Shakti university and Children’s need based Children’s university situated in Gujarat.

PM Modi also said that despite institutions like IITs in the country and so much of talent why innovations like Google, Facebook and You Tube were not originated in India. He urged the IIT G students to not to go for exam based or knowledge based innovations.

‘It was necessary to go for innovation to change the fate of our country but it should be need based rather than knowledge based. When you thing of innovation you just look around you and try to solve ample problems through it. Innovation should be used for things like finding an solar energy based cheap cooking solution,’ he said.

PM Modi on the occasion also praised Gujarat based innovation promoting institute I Create.

He also said that the IIT G students should always remember that the 400 acre of land given to their institution was sacrificed by the poor people of the society and it would keep them aware of their social responsibilities.
Union IT and Electronics minister Ravi Shanker Prasad, HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar and CM Vijay Rupani were also present on the occasion.