TUMKUR: "The Centre is serious about linking of rivers," President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said here on Friday.

Answering questions from students at "Guruvandana Mahotsav 2006" at Sri Siddaganga Math near here, Dr. Kalam told Shivashankar, a student, that the Centre had formed a task team to conduct a survey on the feasibility of linking major rivers. "It is our ambitious project. We have a responsibility to convince environmentalists that linking of rivers will not upset the nature," he said.

Asserting that the project was possible, Dr. Kalam said, more than 10,000 MW of power could also be generated by linking rivers. To a question, Dr. Kalam said the country had human and natural resources in plenty. "With these two key resources, I am confident that India will be transformed into a prosperous and a developed nation by 2020,'' Dr. Kalam said.

The President said that the Centre had plans to open many Indian Institutes of Technology. For the time being, the intake in such institutes would be increased from the next academic year. Indian Institutes of Science and Education were also being planned. Several regional engineering colleges had been upgraded to the level of Indian Institutes of Technology, he added. The President defended the Export-Import policy and said there was nothing wrong in importing technology. It could not be construed as waste of money. ``If the GDP is to be increased to 10 per cent from 8 per cent, we have to produce and market products globally. Law of development has to be followed. Current global situation demands that we export whatever is produced here and import whatever is necessary," Dr. Kalam said. If India had been pursuing its research and development activity in the right direction of Viswa Anand, Dr. Kalam said, agriculture expert M.S. Swaminathan and leader C. Subramanyam were among those who helped India attain self-sufficiency in the production of foodgrains.

He said revolution in IT had earned money and fame for the country in the world. The Indian Institute of Science had been providing excellent opportunities for research and development, he added.

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