Empower women for a stable society: Kalam

COIMBATORE: Empowerment of women will ensure a stable society, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, said here on Tuesday.

Interacting with students of Avinashilingam University, he said that they were the professionals of the future. Leaders with an urge to participate in the national movement. He recited the lines of Bharathiar painting a word picture of the emerging woman.

Mr. Kalam asked the students to have an aim in life and work towards fulfilling it. "Hoping that the future first woman President is among us, what is your advice to us?" one of the students asked. "First, we must get 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament. Then you can become the President," he said. "If women get into the Assembly, they would bring some order. We can also hope to see developmental politics instead of political politics if more women enter the scene," Mr. Kalam said.

Asked whether he thought the present education system was suitable for realising his vision 2020, he said the youth should develop an "I can do it" attitude. Universities and educational institutions should aim at generating employment and not employment seekers, he added.

On the commercialisation of education, Dr. Kalam said that once the Education Bill was passed, education would be made free and compulsory for every child under the age of 14. On caste-based reservation, he underlined the need for more seats in all faculties, as that would eliminate the need for reservation.

Source: The Hindu