Friday, May 12 2006 16:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: As a debate rages over the issue of reservations in elite academic institutions, President A P J Abdul Kalam today (May 12, 2006) recommended increasing the number of seats in centres of higher education to cater to the requirements of the country's knowledge industry.

He said he had himself developed what he called a system of global human resource cadre in this regard.

"The Indian youth faces the twin problems of provision of quality education and to a large number of people, that means in institutions of higher learning such as engineering, medical and specialised sciences," he said.

"We have to ensure that a large number of seats are available," he said at a Grassroots Summit organised by the Press Institute of India here without making any reference to the reservation issue.

Kalam described the need to open up more student vacancies in centres of higher education as a 'mission' that should be achieved through public-private partnerships.

"In this connection, I have developed a system of global human resource cadre. In the 21st century, India needs a large number of talented youth with higher education for the task ofknowledge acquisition, knowledge imparting, knowledge creation and knowledge sharing," the President remarked.

"I am working for it," he said.

The President, who cited the country's rapidly growing 500-plus million population of under 25, suggested that universities set up special cadres to meet future demands, from both in and outside the country, of skilled and qualified young men and women.