The Knowledge Society

The Knowledge Society

                                                                                                      A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

The recipient of Bharat Ratna, Dr A.P.J.Abdul Kalam is the former president of India.”The Knowledge Society” is an extract taken from his popular and famous book “Ignited Minds”. He received many honorary awards like Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan.”Wings of Fire and India 2020”,”A Vision For The New Millennium” are some of his works. In this lesson, Kalam emphasizes that poverty can be rooted out only by striking a balance between the past heritage and present day knowledge. Kalam opines that India can reach the pinnacles of prosperity and glory by scrupulously following certain principles and applying modern technology.

                        Kalam opines that India is essentially a land of knowledge and it must rediscover itself its past legacy. No doubt, the foreign invasions and the colonial rule weakened India considerably. Knowledge has many forms and it is available at many places. It is available in academic institutions, at work places, from learning skills such as from artists, craftsmen, hakims, philosophers and saints and it is available from our heritage and history epics too.

                      Kalam says that Knowledge has always been the prime mover of prosperity and power. In India we had the tradition of transforming knowledge from guru to shishya and from the writings of the foreign travelers who visited Ancient Indian Universities like Nalanda. During the last century the world has changed from being an agricultural society to an industrial society. Thus technology played a vital role in the development of the society. While, in the 21^st century, knowledge has become the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. Education, health-care and agriculture are taken ahead in the knowledge society. It promotes high productivity and rural prosperity. It helps even to create new avenues for employment..

                       The multiple technologies and appropriate management structures must work together to generate a knowledge society. India has left its impression in Information Technology and it will be much more developed in the years to come. Thus it adds a new feather to knowledge society. As a second component, young and dynamic leaders are required for establishing knowledge society. The most important mission for the knowledge society is India should become a super power by the year 2010.

                       If societal transformation and wealth generation are the two important parameters to make India as knowledge society, a third dimension has come to transform India itself into a super power. Kalam says that our communication network and information generators must be protected from electronic attacks. It involves a tremendous responsibility. It is very important that our knowledge and culture too help us this great task of making India a super power.

Meanings:-

emphasize                    = stress something as important

heritage                       = practices that are handed down from the past by tradition

pinnacle                        = the highest level or degree

prosperity                    = an economic state of growth with rising profits and full

                                        employment

glory                             = a state of high honor

scrupulously                  = with extreme care

legacy                           = money or something that one receive from after someone dies

invasion                         = stepping into a place/region/country in a forceful way

epic                               = a long narrative poem telling of a hero’s deeds

hakim                            = a Muslim physician(medical practitioner)

colonial rule                  = the rule of a country which exploits, imposes its authority

                                        towards a weaker country

transformation             = change in form, appearance, or nature of something

avenues                         = a line of approach; sources

adding a new feather    = adding a new advantage (to something)

parameter                     = any factor that defines a system and determines its

                                         performance

tremendous                   = extreme in degree or extent or impact

Short Answer Questions:

1)      What are the various resources of knowledge that Abdul Kalam points out?

A:- Kalam points out various resources of knowledge in this lesson. He points out that knowledge is acquired through education, information, intelligence and experience. It is available in academic institutions, at work places etc. Kalam says that knowledge, though closely linked to education, comes equally from learning skills like artists, philosophers, saints etc. It also available through our heritage, epics and traditions and is available in the oceans, bioreserves, deserts and in every state in our country.

2)      How has the world changed during the last century?

A:- Kalam mentions that during the 20^th century, the world has changed from being an agricultural society in which manual labor was the critical factor, to an industrial society, where the management of technology, capital and labor provide the competitive advantage.

3)  How can one judge whether a nation qualifies to be a knowledge society?

A:- Whether a nation qualifies as a knowledge society is judged by how effectively it deals with knowledge creation and knowledge deployment/usage.

4)      What does societal transformation result in?

A:- When a country is able to bring societal transformation in respect of education, health care ,agriculture and governance it will lead to employment generation, high productivity and rural prosperity.

5)      What are the areas which can help us change into a knowledge society?

A:- The TIFAC(Technology Information Forecasting Assessment Council) test team has identified certain core areas that will lead our march towards becoming a knowledge society. These areas are: information technology, biotechnology, space technology, weather forecasting, disaster management, telemedicine and tele-education, technologies utilizing knowledge, serving sector and infotainment that is the convergence of information and entertainment.

6)      What should be done in order to generate wealth?

A:- In order to generate wealth, which is the second component for establishing a knowledge society, citizen-centric approach is essential for shaping of  business policy, user-driven technology generation and intensified industry-lab-academia linkages have also to be established.

7)What according to Abdul Kalam is the third objective which needs to be realized in order to become a super power?