Burla (Orissa): The President A P J Abdul Kalam today (Jun 4, 2004) called for a multi-pronged strategy to address the serious unemployment situation in the country which, he warned, would lead to instability in the social structure.

"Our employment generation system is not in a position to absorb the graduates passing out from the universities leading to increase in educated unemployed, year after year," Kalam said while addressing the convocation of the Sambalpur University at its Jyoti Vihar campus.

There had been substantial growth in the higher education system and the country was churning out over three million graduates every year and another seven million youth, educated upto the 10 or 10 plus two level, he said.

"This situation will lead to instability in the social structure," he said adding, "We need education integrated with an entrepreneurial spirit."

A multi-pronged strategy was needed to make education more attractive and simultaneously create employment potential, the President said and posed, "How do we do that?"

The Chancellor M M Rajendran presided over the function, which was addressed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

It is after a gap of 32 years that the President had addressed the convocation of this university, nestling on the foothills of a hill. Late President Zakir Hussain was the last President to have graced the convocation.