"As a former finance minister, I am unhappy with the current state of India's economy," said former President of India Pranab Mukherjee.
He was sharing his insights on the value of education in today's scenario, with students at Greenwood High International School at Sarjapura Road on Wednesday.
"India currently has a GDP of 2.268 trillion US dollars. It should have been 5-6 trillion US dollars. We need to improve the economy," Mukherjee pointed out.
He lamented that according to a recent survey, many second standard Indian students cannot read a single word.
"This clearly means that there is lack of quality education despite the 766 universities, 16 IITs, 30 NITs, and hundreds of other educational institutions, in the country. It also shows that many students do not have the access to quality education," he noted.
He urged students to take up the responsibility for ensuring that others in society get a quality education and the gaps are filled when they grow up.
"Youth of today have no baggage of the past. They have no memory of colonial India. They have grown in a free and developed India. They must think of service and progress," he advised.
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