Kerala - Kochi   

Take up research seriously: Union Minister

KOCHI: Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes has called upon students to take research activities seriously and not to let India lose its place as a country known for higher education.

Mr. Fernandes was delivering the inaugural ‘Master Words: Change Management Lecture Series’ at the Albertian Institute of Management in the City on Sunday. He said there was a general trend in the country in neglecting research whereas China was doing well.

For every doctoral degree in India, China had 10, he told the students attending the lecture. He also recalled his visit to an engineering research institute in the country where out of about 3,500 engineers there were only four PhD holders.

Mr. Fernandes said labour laws in the country were undergoing changes. They were also being made simpler. He said social safety measures for the unorganised sector were a major thrust area of the United Progressive Alliance government.

The introduction of employment guarantee scheme, insurance cover and employment for the disabled in the private sector were among the major steps to ensure welfare, he said.

The private sector was being encouraged to employ physically challenged persons. The government was making ESI and provident fund contributions for these employees, the Minister said.

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