The Hindu : National : One success covers up all failures: Pranab

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Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006

National

National

One success covers up all failures: Pranab

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Shortly after what he described the "partial success" of the maiden flight of Agni III from Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast on Sunday, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had a word of advice for defence scientists gathered there. "One success not only covers up all the failures but it takes the country forward" is what Mr. Mukherjee told them, quoting Otto von Bismarck, the 19th century German statesman, when he was Chancellor.

Speaking shortly after laying the foundation for the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Tuesday, Mr. Mukherjee, while referring to the launch of Agni III — which according him "did not succeed completely" — recalled what Bismarck had to say when he visited a laboratory in his country.

"He [Bismarck] asked the director [of the laboratory] of the rate of success in experiments being conducted there," Mr. Mukherjee said. "The reply was one out of 100, at times even less than one." In response, Bismarck had said what the Minister told the scientists at Wheeler Island.

Similarly, "the IISER is a step forward to catch up with the deficiencies we had," the Minister said. "What is power — nothing but technology. Superpower is super technology. Power is essentially based on knowledge," Mr. Mukherjee said.

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