Tezpur (Assam): President A P J Abdul Kalam on October 15 said that it was his dream to see India at par with G-8 nations.

Interacting with students of Tezpur university on October 15, Kalam, who is celebrating his birthday, said, ''My dream is to see the Prime Minister sitting in the G-8 meeting."

However, for this to take place the poverty line had to be zero and the country would have to be economically far stronger, the President told more than 150 students drawn from various schools and the university.

He regretted that over 300 million people were living below poverty line and said that to overcome it the GDP should be increased from five per cent to 10 per cent.

"The countrymen have to have self dignity. Vision ignites the mind and in every field India has produced the best of leaders," Kalam said.

Replying to a question by a student about the huge water resource of the mighty Brahmaputra, the President lamented that water management was not proper in India and networking of rivers should be made a reality. He told another student who asked if missile technology could be used in a constructive way, the President said that it was primarily used for Defence, but also had multiple use.

Commenting on the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir polls, Kalam said that it reflected a change in the mind of the people, as was a victory for Democracy. It was a message to the world.

To a query of the students as to how they can meet him in New Delhi, Kalam said that it was always his endeavour to meet them. "My goal is to meet one lakh students and till now I have met about 75,000 of them. The rest I would meet by August next year," he said.

PTI