Search the Internet          Tips

Kalam gives children his success mantra

Talking to his favourite audience, President A P J Abdul Kalam on Thursday gave children his mantra for success --- curiosity, thinking, knowledge, hard work, and perseverance.

The President, addressing school students at the first Child Education Summit on Children's Day, tackled many subjects like science, the freedom movement, education, and networking of rivers.

Sharing his views on hard work and thinking, he said, "Hard work never killed anyone. Thinking is progress and not thinking destruction."

The President added that the human mind is a unique gift, but sadly it is not nurtured well by the present-day education system that only brings workload.

He felt that the system should bring out the hidden talents of students and any curriculum that fails to do so should be changed.

Talking about his experiences with children, the President said, "During my visit to the Northeast, a girl in flood-prone Brahmaputra valley asked me why flood waters cannot be diverted to Rajasthan or Tamil Nadu. Networking of rivers is the only answer to flood problems."

Kalam said he had met around 100,000 school students since he joined office. Wherever he went children, rich and poor, had the same dream. "They all want to live in a peaceful, prosperous, and secure India."

He told the students to question everything as science evolves out of questions. He also recalled the days when missiles were first made in the country. "Some critics said it wasn't possible, but we did it through perseverance."

The President ended his speech amidst applause and gave students the address of the Web site where the speech can be found on the Internet. Kalam, who was touched by the speeches made by two students earlier, also sang his 'song of youth'.

The Delhi Public School Society in association with the Great Indian Dream Foundation and The Hindustan Times organized the two-day summit.

Tell us what you think of this report