Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Assam package has apparently put the greatest importance on developing education in the state. This northeastern state of India clearly needed a package like this. The package promises a world-class university, a petroleum technology institute and a national design institute for the state. The package also assures of the Central government’s support to the state in skill development among the youth of Assam. The plan includes setting up a model school in every development block of the state. In addition to these, the package pledges to help the state government to set up a science and technology university, a law school and a judicial academy.

            Now, a fast implementation of the projects is required to meet the objectives of the package.

India is celebrating 62nd Independence day on 15th August 2008. On this occasion lets remember the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime minister,s address to the constituent assembly in New Delhi at midnight on August 14, 1947. Nehru said.

“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.

At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, then an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

As one goes through these words, they just fit in place even now.

It is now more than 61 years of Indian Independence still we have miles to go.

We have achieved great strides in Information technology, Telecommunication, Industrialization, Quality of Higher education, Food processing etc.

But even today 20% of the population of India is not having 3 meals a day.  More than 40% of the population does not have basic education. We have good IITs and IIMs, but it is now becoming beyond the reach of lower strata of Indian society.

Agriculture even now is at the mercy of rain gods.

We need to innovate to use the technologies to our benefit.

The wish list is long, but as Rajarshi said in his blog  Independence day India Rocks on  if we have strong will, Nothing is impossible.

With the Union Cabinet’s approval for setting up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Rajasthan, a long-standing demand of the people of Rajasthan seems almost fulfilled. The academic session in this newly founded center of learning is likely to commence from August 2008.

The Union Cabinet has also approved setting up of seven other IITs in the country in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The move will surely boost the country’s technical education.