Archaic systems, concepts can't bring change: Mukherjee

Positive transformation cannot be brought by "archaic systems and concepts", President Pranab Mukherjee said and underlined the need to reform global organisations such as United Nations, World Bank, IMF etc.

Addressing the students of Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research in the University of Ghana here yesterday, the President said the United Nations, which was established in the context of end of the second world war in 1945, cannot serve the purpose of the world community today which has undergone sea changes.

Mukherjee who addressed the students in the jam packed auditorium of the University, considered to be one of the largest in Africa, said only a few countries were the members of the UN when it was formed but the nations from Africa and latin America which got independence post world war do not have any "effective role" in the world body.

"We are asking for radical reforms in the international architecture, in the administrative structures in the financial architectures World Bank IMF, WTI... United Nations' most important security council," he said.

Mukherjee said it was an irony that India, which houses every sixth citizen of the earth, and African continent, which is the hub of the development, has no place in the permanent membership of the UN security council.

"Can you expect that these institutions with archaic system of decision making can solve the problems of the world today," he said.

Earlier in the day, Mukherjee unveiled the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the campus of the University.

He also announced that Indian government has decided to increase the seat allocation for Ghana from 250 to 300 in Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme besides the number of annual scholarships from other schemes has been increased from 20 to 40.

Mukherjee said India is totally different from what it had inherited more than sixth decades ago when it freed itself of English rule of 190 years.

The President said it is a robust country now but it has not happened overnight.

"It has happened because of toil and sacrifice of our leaders," he said.

Earlier, Mukherjee visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum where he laid a wreath on the memorial built for Ghana's first President.

The President also took a tour of the memorial and the museum which has preserved number of articles used by the first President who was one of the founding members of non-aligned movement along with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.