SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL AT THE FUNCTION ON THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST FEMALE FOETICIDE AND INAUGURATION OF THE DSK SUPERINFOCOM INTERNATIONAL CAMPUS

Pune, Maharashtra, 2nd December 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Students and Faculty of DSK Superinfocom,

and all those participating in the campaign against female foeticide,

I am happy to be participating in this programme today. The educational infrastructure in Pune reminds us that the old historical Punyanagari is a city with a long and strong tradition of learning and imparting knowledge by erudite and eminent people in diverse areas of knowledge, art, drama, literature and culture. Today, Pune is acquiring an increasingly modern and international context, in this age of globalization and shrinking distances. At the same time, while the city is making economic progress, it is heartening to know that its citizens are also aware of the many social issues that confront our nation, and are willing to participate in making efforts to correct these problems.

Beginning from the late 20th Century and now in the 21st Century, the nature of industry has changed throughout the world. In the years that followed soon after the Industrial Revolution from the middle of the 19th Century, business and industry were known by the physical assets that they created. Therefore, factories produced machines, equipment and later cars and other such devices in which Intellectual Property was used in the designing of and production of physical output. This was called the brick and mortar economy. Then began a new era towards the end of the last Century, in which a seamless world was created due to advances in communications technology which did not require the maker to be physically located at one place. In this new world, what was produced was not just restricted to those things which had physical attributes, but expanded to goods and services that were formless. This was due to the advent of digital technology, which expanded the scope of creativity. Further, a complete product no longer needed to be produced in one place; rather various parts or processes for its running could be made at different places.

Today, fields such as animation, gaming and industrial design using the benefits of digital technology, are opening up learning opportunities and scope for employment. The global animation and gaming industry grew at 12 percent per annum in the period 2005 to 2009 and was estimated to be a US Dollar 115 billion industry two years ago, according to some reports of industry associations. It is estimated that the industry will grow at the rate of 10 percent per annum till 2013 to become a US Dollar 170 billion industry. The Indian animation and gaming industry derives its revenues mainly from outsourcing from international production houses and game development companies. India has inherent advantages in this, just as in the case of the Information Technology and the Information Technology Enabled Services industry. The sector is said to be on the cusp of significant growth, both on the domestic and outsourcing front. However, one of the components lacking, is skilled human resources. With a growing economy and demand for industrial products which are designed ergonomically and scientifically, there is also a growing scope for industrial designing in India.

I am happy that keeping these aspects in mind the DS Kulkarni Group focused on the need to create well trained human resources and teamed up with the Supinfocom Group of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Northern France, to create this institution of learning, whose campus I have inaugurated a few minutes ago. This opens another institute where our students can receive training, so that they can participate in conceptualizing, creating animation, as well as designing industrial products, from the simplest to the most sophisticated with a sense of passion, so that India creates for itself a name in these creative areas.

While the DSK Group is creating educational infrastructure for developing skills sets amongst our youth, it is noteworthy that they have not forgotten that as a business enterprise, they also have a duty to give back to society. The hallmark of a secure nation is when its women are secure. Hence, it is important that many issues related to women have to be addressed. It is deeply disturbing and a matter of concern, that social evils like female foeticide exist in an India of the 21st Century. This is a crime twice over, as it is against the mother as a woman, and against the unborn girl child, as a future woman. This is most reprehensible. This social evil has to be eradicated. Any crime against women should not be tolerated and the perpetrators should be dealt with most severely. Changes will only begin to happen by altering social attitudes and by overcoming prejudices, in rural areas, in urban areas, amongst men and women, the economically well off and the marginalized. This will require a relentless social movement that spreads the understanding that a daughter is as precious as a son. A bird flies with its two wings as also society and the nation can progress with its two wings - man and woman.

The seriousness of the problem of imbalance in the gender ratio in our population has been highlighted by the recently released figures of the 2011 Census. The all India gender ratio for children between the age of 0 and 6 stands at 914 girls as compared to 1000 boys. This is the lowest since Independence, and is therefore a cause for concern and, in a way, an alarm signal calling for urgent corrective actions. Maharashtra too does not do too well. The Census ratio for the State shows that it is 883:1000, that is even lower than the already low national ratio. In the 2001 Census it was 925:1000. This shows the level of deterioration. The problem in some parts of the State is so ingrained, that in some districts it was found that girls born into families were named Nakushi meaning unwanted, as parents were unhappy and did not want their new born baby girl. This single act of their parents at birth, robbed them of a proper identity, so important for any individual. I am very happy that in Satara District the girls earlier called Nakushi were given new names of their choice, so that they would get an identity and a sense of being wanted by their familes. Such efforts which make people aware of injustices of social prejudices and prompt corrective action, must continue and be supported.

Against this background, awareness in the general public that has been attempted to be created by the DSK Foundation on this important social issue, through a procession and a poster competition on Gandhi Jayanti day, this year and a seminar and street play last month is very encouraging. I congratulate all those who participated in the competition and my best wishes to them. I would urge the DSK Foundation to make campaigns like these, a continuous process and to organize such events on a regular basis not only in Pune, but also in other parts of Maharashtra, wherever they can. It is only through persistent and determined efforts that this most retrograde social practice can be brought to an end.

I once again convey my best wishes to Shri and Smt. Kulkarni, who thought of this novel idea and the DSK Group of enterprises for their venture in the education sector, by setting-up this institution to develop and mould the skills of talented youth in a sunrise sector and also to the DSK Foundation for making their efforts to work for the development of society.

Thank you.

Jai Hind!