Solve hunger, diseases issues, president urges youth

President Pranab Mukherjee Friday urged the youth to help solve problems of hunger, malnutrition and disease.

Speaking at the 45th annual convocation of IIT - Kanpur, Mukherjee said the country's development model envisages higher, sustainable and inclusive growth and science, research and innovation will have to play a leading role.

"The decade 2010-20 has been declared the decade of innovation in our country," said the president, adding that a science, technology and innovation policy has been formulated for an innovation-led development.

According to Mukherjee, the policy underlines the need to adopt a people-centric approach to make innovations relevant for the common citizens.

"Grassroots innovations, with a little mentoring, can be developed into useful, viable products," said Mukherjee as he called upon the institutes of higher learning to take the lead in driving such ideas.

"For India to become a knowledge powerhouse, promotion of basic research and innovation, and development of cutting edge technologies are essential," he added.

However, he reminded students desiring to pursue higher studies abroad to retain the link with their country as they have a responsibility towards their nation and its citizens.

On the occasion, the president awarded Doctor of Science to N.R. Narayana Murthy, founder and executive chairman of the board of Infosys Ltd., and to physicist Ashoke Sen.