Friday, December 30 2005 15:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Darbhanga (Bihar): President A P J Abdul Kalam today (Dec 30,2005) stressed the need for stepping up the GDP rate to 10 per cent per annum consistently for over a decade to uplift people living below poverty line.

''Our nation is facing a major challenge of uplifting 260 million people who are below poverty line and we have to give better life for many millions who are on border line of poverty or just above the poverty line,'' he said in his convocation address of Lalit Narayan Mithila University here.

The below poverty line people need a decent habitat and earn reasonable income for speedy access to health care, better education besides food. The GDP, now growing at a rate of 7 per cent should increase to 10 per cent per year consistently for over a decade to achieve it.

"To meet the needs of one billion people we have the mission of transforming India into a developed nation. We have identified five areas where India has a core competence on integrated action for agriculture, food processing, education and health care, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all parts of the country, information technology and other strategic sectors,'' he said.