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India's young demography should be seen as an asset for future: Mukherjee

Darbhanga (Bihar) , Wed, 03 Oct 2012 ANI

Darbhanga (Bihar), Oct.3 (ANI): Stating that over 70 per cent of Indians will be of working age in 2025, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Wednesday that the young demography of the country should be seen as an asset that requires a solid foundation to grow into their future roles.

"For this, increasing the availability of accessible and affordable higher education and providing training in vocational skills is a key requirement," Mukherjee said at the convocation of the Lalit Narayan Mithila University in Darbhanga.

Lauding the university's "Vision 2011" initiative, the President said that he was struck by its pragmatic choice of priorities.

He praised the institution for its goal to establish a women's institute of technology imparting teaching in bio-technology and information technology, to promote export of Makhana, to promote the teaching of Mithila art and craft, establish an institution of disaster management, to upgrade distance education, establish an institute of rural technology and an institute of forensic science.

"I was glad to note that the university plans to build on regional specializations, provide students with the kind of knowledge and learning that would provide them a variety of opportunities," he added.

Mukherjee said the government has been providing special grants to recognise excellence in universities and academic institutions.

A National Skill Development Council has been established and has been given a mandate to create 15 crore skilled workers by 2022, he said, adding that a National Innovation Council has also been set up to prepare a roadmap for innovations in India.

He also highlighted the fact of a National Knowledge Network (NKN) linking 1500 institutes of higher learning and research through an optical fibre backbone.

"The Government of India, in its approach to the 12th Five Year Plan, will continue with a three-fold strategy of expansion, equity and excellence for higher education. It has identified revitalisation of state universities and colleges as a critical component of the plan," Mukherjee said.

"Academic reforms will be prioritized and strengthening of research activity in universities by establishing mutually-reinforcing linkages between teaching and research will be undertaken," he added.

Technology-enabled learning, and collaborative, information and communication technologies (ICT) will be an area of focus.

To improve the quality of education and learning, Mukherjee said that the government is proposing pilot projects of innovation universities, giving them considerable autonomy and freedom and supplementing these with the creation of Centres of Excellence in existing universities.

He added that resource constraints will make it difficult to meet the need of expanding higher education entirely through the public sector, and said that private investments in higher education, including through PPP- models, will be encouraged.

Darbhanga, he said, is the heartland of Mithila and universally acknowledged as the centre of learning of ancient philosophy.

"It was from this region that saints and philosophers, men of art and craftsmen travelled out and inspired the world with their learning, wisdom and compassion. It is but natural that the Lalit Narayan Mithila University will imbibe and impart this legacy to its students," Mukherjee said.

Since it was founded in 1972, the university has developed 23 teaching departments, 43 constituent colleges and 36 affiliated colleges and even provides distance learning.

It also has a collection of nearly one lakh rare books and manuscripts.

"While all these initiatives indicate that it is an opportune time for higher education in India, we have to be mindful that in the increasingly competitive international environment of today, it is necessary for our universities to ensure that the curriculum is carefully crafted," Mukherjee said.

"They should ensure that the courses that they offer are relevant, modern and progressive. The Government of India has prioritized the promotion of quality by focusing on performance, curricular reforms, better human resource management, promotion of quality research and the creation of conducive ambience in order to attract the best talent to its faculty," he added.

"It is equally important for universities to give importance to autonomous research. It is necessary for universities to build linkages and collaborations with premier institutions in Indian and abroad. Their governance, too, should be guided by flexibility and dynamism," the President said further.

He concluded by saying that an interdisciplinary approach would undoubtedly give a proper value orientation to India's educational system, and that it is important to simultaneously develop moral values along with a scientific temper.

"Today, a real need for each and every student passing through the portals of this prestigious institution to remind himself, as he receives his degree, of the high expectations that society has of him and his generation. Each one of you should have a deep sense of purpose and commitment to make your individual contribution to the building of your state and our nation," the President said. (ANI)


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Comments:

Dr. Dhanakar thakur

October 4, 2012 at 2:59 PM

Though everything President said was right the problem is that the Govt. of Bihar has been neglecting Mithila and for that we could not get a Central university, IIT, AIIMS anything tangiable in Mithila wihtout which progress India caannot be jagadguru.


 

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