Kalam terms Patil's candidature for President's post 'fantastic'

The President describes as "fantastic" the choice of Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil as the UPA presidential candidate.

President APJ Abdul Kalam on Friday described as "fantastic" the choice of Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil as the United Progressive Alliance presidential candidate.

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Asked by a television correspondent on Pratibha Patil's candidature, Kalam, who demits office next month, said: "Fantastic! What else should I say?"

He was speaking while leaving the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) auditorium in Nagpur after addressing Indian Revenue Service probationers.

The president had a busy day during his visit to Maharasthra on Friday, addressing four meetings, including in two universities in Wardha and Yavatmal.

While addressing tax officials at the NADT in Nagpur to mark the silver jubilee celebrations, Kalam said transparency in the administrative system could be brought about by establishing e-governance system.

He said the government needs to provide multiple facilities and services to the people.

Speaking at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Wardha, he suggested that students and faculty members in partnership with the other medical college in the district should activate all the 27 Primary Health Centres including the 180 sub-centres and link them with a Tele-medicine network with district hospitals, sub-district hospitals and rural hospitals.

He said apart from the HIV control protocol, the most important mission for the country today has to be further prevention of the spread of HIV.

Later at the Mahatma Gandhi Hindi University in Wardha, he said it should become a great centre of learning and researching in Hindi. It is possible that many institutions will come for campus recruitment in Nagpur and a lot of work has to be done to get the name and fame in Hindi teaching and research.

Addressing a function in Yavatmal to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of Amolakchand University, he said in the years to come it would generate a large number of societal transformers and entrepreneurs with the object of promoting economic development in the district.