‘India's growth is more creditable than China's'

Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE: India's eight per cent growth is more creditable than China's 10 per cent, S.C. Sarkar, vice president, L&T, has said.

“It stems from our democracy, the decision-making process we adopt and time we take to build a consensus. In China nothing of these happens; the decision taken at the top is implemented without questions,” he said at the Amrita Overseas Ambassadors programme, Confluence 2010', held at Amrita University here on Saturday.

“Though our growth rate is behind China's, the latter is still concerned about our progress and development because of advantages like our ability to converse in English.” Mr. Sarkar said increase in growth rate by two percentage points meant that 10 per cent of the people, who were at the bottom of society, would grow to become middle class by in 20 years.

Referring to the Union Cabinet's decision on allowing foreign universities in India, he said good times lay ahead for students and the institutions' arrival was recognition of Indian talent.

He asked the students who had gone and who were about to go abroad on exchange programmes to make use of the opportunity gained there to improve domestic conditions.

M.P. Chandrasekharan, Dean, Engineering, said during his stay at a European university he learnt that the institutions there had a mandate to also do research. Unlike the theory-practical schism here in India, the two were clubbed.

Institutions there encouraged publication of research papers and it was common for research scholars to publish two or three papers of international repute before completing the programme.

Vice Chancellor Venkat Rangan said through the tie-up, Amrita University hoped to provide an opportunity for students to study and do research at premier European institutions.

Pro-Chancellor Abhayamrita Chaitanya said the feedback of students and scholars who returned from the exchange programme was heartening.

This year 30 students, research scholars and faculty members are on their way to various universities under the exchange programme, sponsored by Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window of European Union.

Alumni Deepthi Devaki and Shashikant spoke on freedom available at European universities.