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Target poverty, says Shekhawat

Staff Correspondent

Academic community, students asked to examine whether funds reach the poor

BHOPAL: The Vice-President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, on Tuesday called upon the academic community and students to visit nearby rural areas and examine whether the funds allocated by the Government for the welfare of the weaker and deprived sections of society actually reach and benefit the targeted groups. "They must also analyse why the poor students drop out of schools and what needs to be done to ensure a life of dignity and self-respect for the weaker sections." Mr. Shekhawat said. He was due to visit Sagar in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday to inaugurate the diamond jubilee celebrations of Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University but could not make it because of bad weather.

In his address, which was read out at the diamond jubilee celebrations, Mr. Shekhawat said: "Unless we rid crores of people of the morass of poverty and deprivation and provide them with the right to live with dignity, we cannot have an all-inclusive development of our country, and our vision to become a developed nation will be seriously jeopardised".

The Vice-President paid homage to Hari Singh Gaur, the eminent lawyer, philosopher and founder of the University. "Dr. Gaur was a great visionary who not only visualised the setting up of a modern university for promotion of education in the then backward region of Bundelkhand but also dedicated his entire earnings to this institution to translate his vision into reality," Mr. Shekhawat said.

The Vice-President said: "The image of the country's bright future is reflected in today's youth". "Our youth have earned world-wide distinction in the field of IT, communications and medical sciences. A recent newspaper survey revealed that 38 per cent of the doctors and 36 per cent scientists were of Indian origin in a highly advanced country like the US. Similarly, a large section of employees in big multinational companies like IBM, Microsoft and Intel were of Indian origin,"he said. "At the same time, about 26 crore people in the country still live below the poverty line. About 25 per cent men and 47 per cent women in the country are illiterate. After becoming self-reliant, the country once again is being compelled to import food-grains, pulses and oilseeds. The farmers are being forced to commit suicide. Even though primary education is a fundamental right, about 30 per cent children are deprived of basic education and 53 per cent children who take admission in the first standard drop out before reaching the eighth standard," he lamented.

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Target poverty, says Shekhawat

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