Delivering the convocation address at Mudra Institute of Communication (MICA) on March 31, Dr Kalam lifted the spirits of graduating students, faculty members and others present on the occasion with his inspiration address that covered a wide range of issues. The central point that emerged from Dr Kalam's address was that students must have a multifaceted development, with integrity as a core value.
Dr Kalam began by administered a "six point oath" to the students. The oath read:
I realize, I have to set a goal in my life. To achieve the goal, I will acquire the knowledge, I will work hard, and when the problem occurs, I have to defeat the problem and succeed.
As a youth of my nation, I will work and work with courage to achieve success in all my tasks and enjoy the success of others.
I shall always keep myself, my home, my surroundings, neighborhood and environment clean and tidy.
I will lead an honest life free from all corruption and will set an example for others to adopt a righteous way of life.
I will light the lamp of knowledge in the nation and ensure that it remains lit for ever.
I realize, whatever work I do if I do the best, I am contributing towards realizing the vision of developed India 2020.
Dr Kalam referred to the famous book on education titled "Five Minds for the Future" written by Howard Gardner. Describing the 'five minds', Dr Kalam said, "Disciplinary minds require the mastery of major schools of thought that may include science, mathematics, history and religion. Synthesizing mind: What is needed is the ability to integrate ideas from different disciplines or spheres into an integrated system and communicate the synthesized thoughts. With the increasing volume of information in the present day world, capacity to synthesize assumes great importance. Creating mind: It is essential to build capacity to uncover and create solutions to new problems, questions and phenomena. Respectful mind: It is a uniquely developed mind, a mature mind that has awareness and appreciation for differences among human beings. Ethical mind: It is indeed a built-in-capacity for fulfilling once responsibility as a worker and as a citizen simultaneously, it will essentially lead to "work with integrity and succeed with integrity"."
Highlighting the importance of these "five types of minds", Dr Kalam said, "With these minds, a person will be well equipped to deal with what is expected as well as what cannot be anticipated. Without these minds, a person will be at the mercy of forces that he or she can't understand."
Sending out a message to experts and scholars, Dr Kalam said, "Nurturing all the five minds is possible, if you build the following five capacities among the youth. What are those five capacities? The five capacities are: inquiry, creativity, technology, entrepreneurial and moral leadership are the five capacities required to be built through the education process." He further added, "If we develop in all our students these five capacities, we will produce "Autonomous Learner" a self-directed, self controlled, lifelong learner who will have the capacity to both, respect authority and at the same time is capable of questioning authority, in an appropriate manner."
Talking on the theme of 'profit with integrity', Dr Kalam said, "Profit with integrity leads to sustainable growth. It is indeed a pure form of corporate social responsibility. How is it possible? We need to have National ethics for sustained growth and peace. If families have to get evolved with ethics and value system, parenthood should have inbuilt ethics.
Righteousness in the heart can be evolved only by three people, who are they? They are father, mother and the primary school teacher."
Dr Kalam ended his inspirational address by talking about PURAs or Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas schemes. He said that economy prosperity can reach all the people in the country through the PURAs. He urged the graduating students and MICA faculty members to contribute to rural India by helping in setting up of PURAs.
