Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam exhorted the budding techies to use their knowledge in the service of “mankind and motherland”. During a visit to the city, he addressed students of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) on Friday and Sambhunath Institute of Engineering and Technology on Saturday. He said the mission of IT in India should be to convert knowledge into products and services, leading to the formation of a knowledge grid that will help in the creation of a knowledge society. IIIT graduates should transform themselves into knowledge professionals and must carry the values drawn from our country’s heritage, he added.“The mission will help in removing illiteracy, upgrading the education system for providing job-oriented education and enhancing skills of teachers. IT sector must not only strengthen the communication network but also provide leverage to multiple sectors such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing and social services,” said the former President. He asked the IIIT authorities to “provide knowledge connectivity to all the villages of Uttar Pradesh”. Kalam presented his vision of India 2020 as a nation where there is an equitable distribution of energy and water; agriculture, industry and service sectors work together in harmony; the rural-urban divide has been bridged and education is not denied to any student because of societal or economic discrimination.IIIT Director Dr M D Tiwari said it was a great honour that Dr Kalam visited the institute for the second time in the last 10 years.
