Pondicherry : A holistic approach is necessary to meet the macro-economic and structural challenges for removing poverty and deprivation within a reasonable time frame, Lt. Governor M. M. Lakhera said here on Friday.

Inaugurating a three-day annual programme of an Industry-Institution interface (Synapse 2005), organised by Pondicherry University's Department of Management Studies, Mr. Lakhera said such an approach would help successful implementation of a development strategy and sustain performance.

To tackle unemployment and achieve growth rate there should be optimal utilisation of human resources, up-gradation of Research and Development facilities, besides tapping rural markets.

He said university-industry collaboration was almost non-existent for a long time in the country and that events such as `Synapse' offered a platform for both to know their mutual requirements. He called for a long-term plan to get skilled manpower ready for the industry's future requirements.

Telecommunication, Internet, education, healthcare and other fields of activities should be projected for development of rural economy although the resources to provide them were "grossly inadequate" now.

Greater investment must be made in irrigation and rural infrastructures for encouraging entrepreneurial activity. India with its multi cultural market was a laboratory to try out innovations.

Over the next ten years nearly 110 million new jobs would be generated to meet job opportunity. Enhanced productivity in agriculture, labour intensive manufacturing, gender development, health and education was needed to achieve goal of growth with equity he said.

University vice-chancellor A. K. Bhatnagar, who presided, said inquisitiveness on the part of students to enlist details from the representatives participating in the panel discussions would be of help to them.

Chairman and Managing Director of UCAL Products C. V. Karthik Narayanan in his key note address said that youth should march ahead with a vision.

He said that the message of Mahatma Gandhi through his "Poorna Swaraj" was holding the necessary vibrant key for a drive for the people to go ahead.

Chairman of CII (Pondicherry chapter) C. S. Dwivedi was among those who offered his felicitations on the occasion.

Dr.R. Prabakara Raya the Faculty Advisory of the programme highlighted the scope of the three-day events, which included themes pertaining to different aspects of emerging markets.

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