President A P J Abdul Kalam said on Thursday that he will resume his academic pursuits after his tenure is over in July 2007. Kalam said he found both his roles as a President and scientist equally challenging, but he will go back to teaching and research after his tenure ends.
The President was being quizzed by students of different schools in and around Gangtok at an interactive session at T N Senior Secondary School. Reminding the students they were the future of the country and its biggest asset, he asked them to dedicate themselves to the task of nation-building, as society cannot prosper without their contribution.
When asked by one of the students what was the best and worst thing he had experienced as the President of India, Kalam said the best thing was that his tenure had given him an opportunity to interact with over 600,000 students all over the country, something which he enjoys the most.
The worst thing was that his tours through the length and breadth of the country had brought him face to face with millions of people living below the poverty line. "Poverty should be taken as the biggest challenge and we should leave no stone unturned to eliminate it," he added.
