Not free power, farmers need assured power, says Vice-President Naidu

“Loan waivers and free power for farmers would not work, as they are just temporary. Free power means low power and then no power. Instead, farmers need assured power for a structured growth of the nation,” he said while delivering a speech at the first graduation ceremony of PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research.

Referring to air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, the Vice President said, “Pakistan is in such a position that they cannot accept it or remain silent over the attack. It is similar to a thief being stung by a scorpion – he can neither cry out nor can he be quiet. They have been aiding terrorism by funding and training terrorists.”

Stating that knowledge is the driver of the economy and plays a major role in improving the living condition of people, Naidu said India must therefore rise to the occasion and reorient its higher education system to be globally competitive.

“Access to education for all is essential to ensure inclusive growth and prevent any kind of discrimination. We should focus on skill training, upgradation and promote innovative entrepreneurship to meet the demands of various sectors including agriculture. The youth should become job creators and not job seekers,” he said.

On the emerging startup eco-system, the Vice President said, “More than 1.5 lakh jobs have been generated by start-ups in India. Today, with 39,000 startups, our nation is the second largest global hub of start-ups, and 44 per cent of them are located in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.”

Stating that India has emerged as the fastest growing economy in the world and is projected to become the third largest in the coming years, Naidu said that new technologies should be used to improve the living conditions of the common man, particularly the marginalised sections like women, farmers and un-organised labourers.

Emphasising the importance of organising field visits for students to rural areas by higher educational institutions, Naidu said, “Students should be made to spend a few days with families in rural areas, so that they experience first-hand problems and challenges faced by people in villages. It will enable them to think and come up with new ideas to overcome the challenges faced by rural people.”