Article Posted on : - Oct 18, 2010

A file photo.

DEHRA DUN (PTI): Former President A P J Kalam Sunday said that India is planning to send its mission to Mars in 2030.

"We hope that we will be able to send the mission to Mars in 2030," he said at a school function here.

Significantly, Kalam had made a similar announcement here in 2001 regarding the Chandrayaan-I mission to the moon when he was scientific adviser to the government.

Answering a question, he said the best way to eradicate corruption in the country is to start a campaign from the home.

"For a nation of a billion people, if you ask your father, in case he is unfortunately corrupt, to stop corruption, this is the best way to stop corruption from the home itself. If everybody does that, then corruption will stop," Kalam told the school children.

He said he had been asked this question earlier also at a school function and his answer at that time was the same.

Later, Kalam also administered an oath asking the young students to fight corruption.

To another question, Kalam said he does not believe in the brain drain theory and said the Indians used to go to other countries to acquire knowledge and wealth in the past also.

But as times have changed, the number of IITs, IIMs and similar educational institutes is increasing and now people from foreign countries would also come to India, the former President said.

When a student asked him the question that how is he a peace-loving person and at the same time a missileman too, Kalam said that strength is necessary to gain respect from other nations.

He asked the students to acquire knowledge from great books and great teachers stating that "knowledge makes the man perfect."

Reading books also plays an important role in building of characters, he said.