YAVATMAL (Maharashtra): President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Friday called for an education system that could cultivate in students an aptitude for entrepreneurship right from school.

With a view to transforming employment-seekers into job-generators, the system should prepare students right from college education to get oriented to setting up enterprises, which would provide them with creativity, freedom and ability to generate wealth, he said speaking at the concluding ceremony of the golden jubilee of the Amolakchand Mahavidyalaya here.

Students' capacities

Among the capacities to be built into students were research and enquiry, creativity and innovation, use of high technology and entrepreneurial and moral leadership.

Every year colleges in the country churned out three million graduates, of whom about 15 per cent might opt for research and teaching and the others would seek jobs.

Job generation syste

But the employment generation system was in no position to absorb all graduates, and hence growing unemployment among the educated.

Shed syndrome

Mr. Kalam urged banks to provide venture capital to prospective entrepreneurs right from the village level. "Banks have to be proactive to support the innovative products for enabling wealth generation by young entrepreneurs by setting aside the conventional tangible asset syndrome."

Mr. Kalam, who was cheered by the students, answered questions on defence, environment and other problems.

When a girl asked where he could be reached after July 24, the President, who is laying down office, said with a broad smile: "You can contact me at www.professorabdulkalam.com."

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Higher Education Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, Amravati University Vice-Chancellor Kamla Singh and Vijay Darda, MP, who heads the institution, participated.

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