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• President Ms Pratibha Devisingh Patil said India has to build and improve infrastructure to grow into a developing nation and stressed upon the need to integrate agriculture with other sectors of the economy.\“We look at building our country, as one whose economy demonstrates a robustness to grow, so that we can become a developed nation,” the President said in her address to the nation on the eve of 63rd Republic day.

• “Focus on research and development is an investment in our future. Our agriculture, industry and service sectors need to be working more efficiently, with greater scientific inputs and more inter-linkages with each other,” Ms Patil said.Stating that integration of agriculture with other sectors of the economy remained inadequate, the President said “We need to look at models of partnership, of farmers with industry and with R&D institutions in various activities, so that, not only does agricultural productivity increase, but farmers benefit as well.”

• She emphasised the need to focus on dryland farming, given its enormous potential and, the fact that, a large proportion of farm labour and poor farmers are dependent on it. “At the same time, it is very important to build our physical infrastructure – such as roads, ports and airports, to overcome constraints to rapid growth,” Ms Patil said.

• The President also highlighted that there is tremendous work to be done to move forward on the social and economic agenda, if India has to achieve fast, inclusive and sustainable growth. “Our foremost priority is the removal of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, disease and illiteracy. All social welfare programmes must be implemented efficiently,” she said.

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