BENGALURU: India has no scarcity of water or financial resources; what we lack is ‘appropriate vision’ and corruption-free individuals who can get work done, said Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday. He added that he has built 47 river-linking projects and resolved major water disputes between states by just putting ministers in a room to address their animosities so that water is not wasted.
He was speaking at the book launch of ‘Ramaiyanam, a pictorial biography of Dr MS Ramaiah, philanthropist, educationist and businessman, along with Santosh Hegde, former judge of the Supreme Court and former Lokayukta. He commended the work of Dr Ramaiah and the group that has inspired and helped so many students achieve their dreams. “Bengaluru is known as the knowledge capital of India. This is also because of the hard work of Dr Ramaiah, who made so many institutions for different sectors,” Gadkari said.
Innovation, entrepreneurship, science, technology, research and skills are often named as the ability to convert into knowledge and wealth, explained the minister, adding, “No person and no material ever goes to waste –without appropriate vision, one can convert waste into wealth and help India become Aatmanirbhar.”
Gadkari also briefly spoke about the need to inculcate the right set of values in the young generation. “With qualitative knowledge, a value-based education system and a value-based family system, India can scale much more,” he said.
Recalling an incident, Gadkari said integrity has nothing to do with degrees or knowledge but with one’s principles. “Despite being considered as a poverty-ridden country, we have a rich history, strong principles, culture and heritage that is missing in many countries,” he mentioned.
Justice Hegde said the biography should be a part of history textbooks in schools that teach young children the moral values which are currently lacking. “When I was in school, there was a subject known as moral science, today it’s not there in any of the schools. Ramaiah’s life can be a good example,” he said.
The book is authored by senior journalist Ramakrishna Upadhya.
