FOCUS ON EDUCATION: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala giving away degree certificate to a student at the convocation held at Bharathidasan University on Thursday. Vice Chancellor of the University C. Thangamuthu (second from left) and Secretary, Departme nt of Science and Technology, New Delhi, T. Ramasami (extreme right), are also in the picture.— PHOTO: R. M. RAJARATHINAM

TIRUCHI: A real and enriched education lies in a careful fusion of eastern models with western methodologies. Though the exercise is full of challenges, the result will be a system of education, which will elevate thoughts to the sublime level, said T. Ramasami, Secretary, Union Government Department of Science and Technology.

Addressing the 23rd convocation of Bharathidasan University, Mr. Ramasamy said that in the past, the learning system was process-centred. But now the global strategy was product-centred, employing education as a means to arrive at some pre-determined destination.

He said the modern education taught one to surpass others, focussing on wealth generation through application of knowledge. But real education was a continuum in which both journey and destination played important parts, he said in his presentation on `Educational Delight: in Both Journey and Destination''. Mr. Ramasamy said educational delight spurred a four-dimensional growth: physical well-being, psychic delight, cultural harmony and spiritual elevation of thought. Knowledge gained through investments of large sums of money is protected under regulatory frameworks of the Government and the laws of Intellectual Property regimes.

Educational delight entails four-dimensional growth along the directions of physical wellbeing, psychic delight, cultural harmony and spiritual elevation of thought, Education should prepare the mind to find harmony with the culture of the land.

'Incomplete education'

Education without happiness, even if it is aided by large amounts of monetary wealth, is incomplete, Dr. Ramasamy, a Bhatnagar Awardee and Padmashree, observed in his presentation on the topic `Educational Delight: in both journey and destination. Education is a continuum in which both journey and destination play important parts, he insisted.

Presenting his report, Vice-Chancellor C. Thangamuthu said the silver jubilee celebration of the university was marked by offering of a large number of academic programmes and a massive development of infrastructure.

The university has 15 autonomous colleges. After autonomy was granted to Government Arts College at Karur and Government Arts College for Women at Kumbakonam, the university would have the distinction of having the largest number of autonomous colleges in the State, he said.

Chancellor and Governor S. S. Barnala awarded degrees to 411 candidates.

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