Kalam thinks children can end corruption

Coimbatore: Amid raging debate on steps to check corruption, former President APJ Abdul Kalam today said if children dared to question parents about their source of income and refuse to travel by vehicle acquired through corrupt means, India would gradually become a corruption-free country. Replying to a question on the issue during an interactive session with students here, Kalam quoted a survey and said India has a population of over one billion, who live in 200 million houses, with each house having a five member family — parents and children. [caption id=“attachment_107622” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Former President APJ Abdul Kalam thinks children can end corruption.”]  [/caption] The survey revealed that 30 percent of the houses, about 60 million — were reportedly acquired through corrupt means, he said and asked the students to be brave enough to ask their parents the source of income and refuse to go in a car, purchased by corrupt money.This could be the one solution to erase corruption, he said. Another major thing was the quality of a human being, which can be created only by young people — sons or daughters,who can change their parents’ character. Use this tool and find the change for yourselves, there would not be corruption, he said. To a question on quality of IIT students, he said since the number of IITs had suddenly gone up in the last few years, there were not enough trained teachers. “We need good teachers to train teachers and the students also,” he said. On food situation, Kalam said India would definitely produce 400 million tonnes of foodgrains in 2020, as the country was able to produce 235 million tonnes from 50 million tonnes some five decades ago, to meet the larger demand. This can be achieved by another green revolution, he said. To a question on poverty line, Kalam said the Planning Commission has given the figure of 300 million as below poverty line. If India’s GDP managed to grow at 10 percent and sustained for nine years, the country would become a developed country, without any line for poverty. PTI