Next elections are crucial for India's destiny, Sam Pitroda says

CHENNAI: Sam Pitroda, chairman of the National Council for Innovations and adviser to the Prime Minister on public information infrastructure, has called for 'a young and strong government' at the Centre and asked the youth to vote in large numbers to make this happen.

Speaking at the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for Youth Development (RGNIYD) at Sriperumbudur on Tuesday, Pitroda said, "The next elections are very crucial for India and its destiny."

"You owe it to Rajiv Gandhi who as Prime Minister was instrumental in lowering the voting age to 18 from 21," Pitroda said delivering the 5th RGNIYD lecture at the institute.

Recalling his first meeting with Rajiv Gandhi in Delhi in 1979, Pitroda said he had been impressed with the latter's concern for a large number of people at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Rajiv was focused his attention on balancing rural and urban growth, he said.

Pitroda, who is considered to be the father of Indian Telecom revolution, said broadband building in rural and urban areas held the key to transformation in educational, health and financial services, besides connecting all research and development labs and scientific research institutions.

He said the government planned to connect 2,50,000 panchayats with one million km of optical fibre in 18 months. He said a sum of Rs 5000 crore had been envisaged for investment in innovations and would come up before the Union cabinet for approval.

He called on the youth to 'have courage and conviction' to experiment and follow their ideals without waiting for government to help them.

"I do not have all the answers," he admitted replying to questions from students from various colleges. "I don't have an opinion on corruption but can say that I am 100 per cent non-corrupt. Don't know about my wife," he remarked asking people to take personal responsibility for themselves.

C R Kesavan, vice president of RGNIYD, said Rajiv Gandhi had always asked the youth to play an important role in nation building.

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