The Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT and Communications, Mr Ponnala Lakshmaiah, today said that the global requirements for skilled manpower with mathematical background is over 1.5 crore across different levels over the next decade, calling for greater thrust on developing this stream.
India, being a software super power, contributes a major chunk of professionals with mathematical background as the subject plays a foundational role in all the streams of engineering. Andhra Pradesh contributes a big chunk (about 11 per cent) of the total IT professionals working globally, he said.
Speaking at a meeting hosted by the NRI Academy on Mathematical skills, the State IT Minister emphasised mathematics' importance in today's changing world. Mathematics has played a pivotal role in the development of science and technology and scientific discovery would not have been possible without the sound knowledge of mathematics.
Year 2012 marks the 125th birth anniversary of Ramanujam and 100th birth anniversary of Alan Turing who invented the computer. The State Government will host ‘Advantage AP, a Global IT event” to commemorate the same.
India has a history of producing some of the greatest mathematicians, such as Ramanujam, Aryabhatta, Brahmaputra and Bhaskara. By using Vedic mathematic principles, mathematician Ms Shakuntala Devi could keep pace with the speed of a computer.
He, however, felt that most of the engineering students lacked mathematical skills and colleges needed to lay special thrust on addressing this aspect. Even in fine arts like music, there is shruti and tala that have a mathematical connotation to them, he said.
Mr Lakshmaiah said there was a need to focus on mathematical applications as part of the learning process.