Chennai, Mar 13 (UNI) Former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy today said India's development was hindered by mismanagement of economy and politics and called upon the authorities to consider each district as 'small country' for the development of the nation.

Addressing the College Day celebration at the Alpha Arts and Science College here, he said 25 per cent of the population were still Below Poverty Line (BPL) and the development of the nation continued to be hindered by financial and political mismanagement.

Exhorting the student community to play a key role in the development of the country, he said they should make use of the opportunities and take the country in the path of development.

''Indian students are sought after by MNCs across the globe. They ought to possess a positive outlook on life, hone their communication skills and be able to take prompt decisions.

Decision making is one of the important ingredients for success in life,'' he said.

Emphasising on women's education, Mr Krishnamurthy said, ''women's education is important for the country to progress.'' States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh should come on par with other states in providing education to women, he added.

Addressing the Convocation function yesterday, S V Chittibabu, Former Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University and Annamalai University emphasised on the need for quality education for youngsters.

UNI