‘Varsities must redefine values’

The President,who was speaking at the convocation of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University here,said that universities must act as guides in meeting the contemporary moral challenges and ensure that our civilizational values of compassion for all,love for motherland,respect for women,truth and honesty in life,discipline and self-restraint in conduct,and responsibility in action are fully entrenched in the minds of the young boys and girls.

Asking universities to deliver education of international standards,he said every university should identify one department that can be developed into a centre of excellence.

Stating that there are more than 2 lakh Indian students studying abroad,Mukherjee said “it will be our undoing if we cannot draw our students to seek higher education in their own country”.

The President said that our academia and industry have a lot to contribute towards innovation activity. As per an international survey,only three Indian companies are amongst the world’s 100 most innovative companies and only 0.4 per cent of the 260 lakh students enrolled at under-graduate level and above in 2011-12 were PhD students.

He said that the Science,Technology and Innovation Policy 2013 has envisaged a science and technology led innovation to drive India’s future development. The onus is on higher educational institutions to make use of this policy to consolidate our standing as a knowledge economy. He said that current decade is the decade of innovation.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were UP Governor B L Joshi,Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Minister of State for Human Resource Development Jitin Prasada. Akhilesh and Jitin both assured the university all assistance required from the state and the Centre.

The university awarded the degree of Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) to former Chief Justice of India J S Verma who died on April 22. His granddaughter Preetika Mathur received the degree. Before his death,Jutice Verma was invited to receive the degree.

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