President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Wednesday called for a fresh vision in the country to overcome problems of poverty, food, health and employment to make India a developed country by 2020.

Addressing a gathering of teachers, university senate members, students and officials of Punjab University at its 56th annual convocation here, Kalam said that a strong partnership among research and development institutes, academicians, industry and the community was required to accomplish the vision of a developed India.

'We have a population of over one billion people of which 220 million are still living below the poverty line. They need education, they need habitat, and they need healthcare and creation of employment potential. To meet their needs we have the second vision of transforming India into a developed nation by 2020,' he told the gathering.

Kalam said the five core areas where India had competence for integrated action were: food and agriculture, education and healthcare, information and communication technology, infrastructure development in power and transport and self-reliance in critical technologies.

He said having a 9 percent growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) alone was not enough. 'Economists say that we need to grow at over 10 per cent for one decade to eliminate poverty and other problems.'

Kalam added that the country and its intelligentsia needed to ensure that the National Prosperity Index (NPI) continued to grow and that the fruits of growth reached all sections of society.

Along with growth in all fields, people should cherish the rich culture and value system of the country, he said, adding that lectures in moral science, especially by great teachers, were important and should be part of the curriculum of every institution.

Kalam later honoured a few persons with degrees.

He also participated in the annual convocation of the Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).