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Saturday, Dec 29, 2007
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Manmohan for institutional reforms in universities

Special Correspondent

Openness to lateral entry into teaching, research staff needed

Universities must augment their physical infrastructure
Eleventh Five-Year Plan is India’s education plan

— Photo: PTI

FOCUS ON EDUCATION: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conferring honoris causa degree on Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar at the 20th Convocation of the Goa University in Panaji on Friday.

PANAJI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the universities in the country are in need of a new wave of reforms that will enable them to augment existing talent.

Addressing the students and dignitaries at the 12th annual convocation ceremony of the Goa University here on Friday during his two-day visit to the State, the Prime Minister said, “There has to be openness to lateral entry into teaching and research staff and a willingness to try new pedagogical methodologies and technologies to access teaching materials and database.”

Goa Governor S. C. Jamir, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Goa University Vice-Chancellor Dileep N. Deobagkar and other dignitaries were present.

Anil Kakodkar, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, was conferred with an honorary doctorate of the Goa University by the Prime Minister. Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar, the second recipient of the honorary doctorate, could not make it for the ceremony.

Innovative methods

The Prime Minister said that he was aware that massive qualitative expansion of the country’s educational system would put its infrastructure under stress and there could also be a shortage of teachers.

He wanted the universities and educational institutions to adopt innovative methods to augment their infrastructure, teaching and research capabilities to tackle the problem.

“The government can at best provide an enabling framework within which the educational institutions should address the challenges they face,” he said.

While recognising the need for more autonomy for the universities and institutions of higher education, the Prime Minister cautioned them that this should in return translate into greater accountability to society, if not government.

Forward-looking agenda

Dr. Singh took the opportunity to deal elaborately with the government’s forward-looking agenda for the educational sector.

The government has placed education at the centre of the coming 11th Five-Year Plan, which he described as India’s “education plan.”

He disclosed that the Union government had increased the outlay for education from 7.7 per cent of the total gross budgetary allocations in the 10th Plan to more than 19 per cent in the 11th Plan while the actual outlays have been virtually raised five-fold.

Key factors

“It is through universal literacy, access to education and knowledge-based agricultural and industrial development that the country should march ahead to join the front ranks of the great nations of the world,” Dr. Singh said, while spelling out his vision for the future ahead.

Expressing concern over the high dropout rate at the primary level, regional disparities in educational attainment and uneven quality and low average quality of education, he spoke of the urgent need to correct these imbalances and distortions. He wanted more number of students to enroll for college and higher education; at least 20 per cent of the relevant age-group.

Maritime research

The Prime Minister reiterated his desire to see Goa emerge as a knowledge-based economy and as the most attractive and environment-friendly tourist destination of the world.

He also wanted the coastal State to emerge as an important centre of maritime research and business by application of modern science and technology.

Human resource development

Vice-Chancellor Deobagkar said that considering the future career avenues, which will be prospective both within the State and at the national level, the University has taken the initiative for the development of state-of-the-art human resource development courses.

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