Students passing out of educational institutions should have employable skills;
Education must build character, competence and capacity besides promoting good
conduct;
Gender sensitization must begin at home and continue in Schools, Colleges and Universities;
Addresses Faculty and Students of Pondicherry University
Gender sensitization must begin at home and continue in Schools, Colleges and Universities;
Addresses Faculty and Students of Pondicherry University
The Vice President of
India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has appealed all the Universities in the country
to teach various subjects including Science and Technology in their respective
mother tongues. H was addressing the Faculty and Students of Pondicherry
University, in Puducherry today. The Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Dr. Kiran
Bedi, the Chief Minister of Puducherry, Shri V. Narayanasamy and other
dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The Vice President
called for reorientation of teaching methods at educational institutions to
bring out the latent talents of the students and stressed on the need to turn
universities into global centres of excellence in innovation and research. He
further said that higher educational institutions must look closely into its
own functioning and identify areas that require reform and those that require
transformation. We must also raise the productivity, efficiency and
effectiveness and make our processes more transparent, people-friendly and
responsive to the needs of our people we are serving, he added.
The Vice President
highlighted on the need to fully tap the potential of the human capital by
ensuring that they have the knowledge and skills required for the 21st century
world. We must ensure that there are enough opportunities for them to
start new enterprises and generate new jobs, he added.
The Vice President
asked universities to have an onerous responsibility to create new courses and
improve the teaching learning processes to make the students ready to take on
these challenges. It is important that students passing out of the portals of
our higher educational institutions must possess employable skills, he added.
Saying that education
is an instrument for socio-economic transformation of the individuals and the
society at large, the Vice President said that it should bring out the best in
man and lead to his enlightenment and empowerment. He further said that the
Education is the process of continuous learning and does not end with the
acquisition of a degree. It must inculcate strong moral and ethical values and
facilitate the holistic development of an individual. Education must build
character, competence and capacity besides promoting good conduct, he
added.
The Vice President
said that the love for learning and quest for solutions needs to be an integral
part of every school and University system. He further said that there is a
need to vastly improve the quality of education in the Indian universities. The
faculty must be constantly learning and help students to access new resources
and update the knowledge base, he added.
Following is the text
of Vice President's address:
"I am delighted
to interact with you all in this historic city and share my thoughts.
I am glad to know from
your distinguished Vice Chancellor, Prof Gurmeet Singh, on the progress you are
collectively making on various fronts and the hard work being put in by each
one of you to shape this University into a centre of excellence.
As Chancellor of this
University, I am happy that you have been ranked 13th in the All India rankings by the MHRD in 2016. I noted
with satisfaction that you were the first University in the country to start a
community college focused on skill development for enhancing employability. I
am also pleased that you are using IT extensively in the academic, research and
administrative functions of the University. I urge you to keep up the momentum.
Please don’t let complacency set in. Strive to be the best and keep innovating.
Today we are living in
interesting times. India is emerging as a major world player economically. We
are in a transformational, aspirational India. In consonance with the Prime
Minister’s call to reform, perform and transform, each institution must look
closely into its own functioning and identify areas that require reform and
those that require transformation. We must also raise the productivity, efficiency
and effectiveness and make our processes more transparent, people-friendly and
responsive to the needs of our people we are serving.
Indian economy, which
is growing at more than 7 per cent, is poised to become the third largest
economy in the coming 10-15 years. As the economy transforms, the educational
and job opportunities for the youth are also bound to increase and the living
standards of the people are expected to improve further.
With the country
having the unique advantage of a vast youth population, the need of the hour is
to fully tap the potential of the human capital by ensuring that they have the
knowledge and skills required for the 21st century world.
Simultaneously, we must ensure that there are enough opportunities for them to
start new enterprises and generate new jobs.
While the government
is already focusing on these two aspects through programmes like Skill India
and Start up India, Universities like yours have an onerous responsibility to
create new courses and improve the teaching learning processes to make the
students ready to take on these challenges.
Although, lakhs of
students are passing out of the portals of our higher educational institutions
each year, majority of them are lacking employable skills.
I appeal all the
Universities in the country to teach various subjects including Science and
Technology in their respective mother tongues.
Education should bring
out the best in man and lead to his enlightenment and empowerment. It is an
instrument for socio-economic transformation of the individuals and the society
at large. Education is the process of continuous learning and does not end with
the acquisition of a degree. Education must inculcate strong moral and ethical
values and facilitate the holistic development of an individual.
Dear students,
My advice to all of
you is to dream big and aim high. Think that the whole world of knowledge is
open to you. You master the basics well and move on to acquire higher
competencies. Learning must be fun, enjoyable. It must be a constant source of
pleasure rather than being a drudgery and a burden you feel like getting rid
of.
Sri Aurobindo, the
famous spiritual personality associated with Pondicherry, had stated that,
“To love to learn is
the most precious gift that one can give to a child: to love to learn always
and everywhere, so that all circumstances, all happenings in life may be
constantly renewed opportunities for learning more and always more.”
This love for learning
and quest for solutions is what needs to be an integral part of every school
and University system. As stated earlier, there is a need to vastly improve the
quality of education in the Indian universities. The faculty must be constantly
learning and help students to access new resources and update the knowledge base.
In this context, it is worth recalling what Aurobindo, the great thinker, saint
and philosopher had to say about the process of teaching and learning. He had
said,
“The first principle
of true teaching is that nothing can be taught. The teacher is not an
instructor or taskmaster; he is a helper and a guide. His business is to
suggest and not to impose. He does not actually train the pupil’s mind; he only
shows him how to perfect his instruments of knowledge and helps and encourages
him in the process. He does not impart knowledge to him; he shows him how to
acquire knowledge for himself.”
We should reorient our
teaching in a way that it brings out the latent talents of the students. We
need to turn our universities into global centres of excellence in innovation
and research. Like in ancient times when India was known as ‘Vishwaguru’, our
universities must attract knowledge-seekers from all over the world. To achieve
this, the professional competence of teachers has to be enhanced in a
significant manner.
Universities are
expected to not only provide quality education, but more importantly develop
global citizens equipped to deal with contemporary challenges in a competent
manner.
Education must build
character, competence and capacity besides promoting good conduct.
An important aspect
that I would like to touch upon in the current context is the need for gender
sensitization. Some of the recent incidents of crime against women are shameful
and a matter of serious concern. We all have to act collectively to raise
awareness against discrimination of the girl child.
There should be
renewed focus on gender equality and safety of women. And this gender
sensitization must begin at home and continue in schools, colleges and
Universities.
Dear students,
You have an
opportunity to study in one of the premier institutions of higher learning in
our country. Make full use of your opportunities available here. Look at the
opportunities in the wider world as well.
The “world of
learning” and the “world of work” are changing at a very fast pace.
You need to be adept
and adaptable, agile and innovative.
The education,
knowledge and the skills you have acquired all these years must be used to
transform the world through disruptive innovations and make it a better place
for living.
Gandhiji had said
once, “Healthy discontent is the prelude to progress.” Please
cultivate the spirit of creative dissatisfaction. Innovation is born of this
creative dissatisfaction.
While keeping abreast
with the modern day trends and changes, you must not forget your roots.
Please remember that
you are inheritors of a great culture.
It is a culture that
has valued knowledge.
It is a culture that
has held scholars in high esteem.
It is a culture that
believed that we must learn from the best minds from across the world.
Try to get a glimpse
into our ancient treasures, nuggets of wisdom, of which there are quite a large
number. They have gems of wisdom and give you the illumination when you are in
a dilemma as to which path of action is better. These give you the foundation
for ethical behavior and enable you to take decisions that are good for you as
well those around you. Be pro-active global citizens with a strong Indian
roots. I recall what Mahatma Gandhi had said:
“I do not want my
house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the
cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But
I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”
You must keep these
words in mind as you create your individual identity. You must aim to absorb
the good thoughts from wherever they come. You must actually look for these
noble ideas and build on them.
I once again thank the
Vice Chancellor for giving this opportunity to visit the University and learn
about the good work being done by all of you. I hope with your efforts, this
University will rise to greater heights. I wish you all the very best in your endeavor.
Jai Hind
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