The Hindu : New Delhi News : 370 new degree colleges for backward districts: Sonia

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Sunday, May 11, 2008
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370 new degree colleges for backward districts: Sonia

Staff Reporter

Extends support to Hamdard Institute of Medical Science

Ms. Gandhi gave away 84 Ph.D. degrees and 93 gold medals
A. R. Kidwai and Anil Kakodkar get honorary D.Sc. degrees

NEW DELHI: Underlining the Union Government’s commitment to uplift the traditionally disadvantaged sections of society, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday announced that 370 new degree colleges would come up in the educationally backward districts of the country.

Delivering the Convocation Address at the eighth Convocation of Jamia Hamdard University here, she said: “The UPA Government has come up with many programmes to focus on traditionally disadvantaged sections of society which is why it has vastly expanded scholarships for minorities, Scheduled Castes and Tribes, Other Backward Classes and girls.”

Whereas in the Tenth Five Year Plan eight per cent of the total allocation was for education, it had been increased to 20 per cent in the 11th Plan, she said, largely because of the impetus given to higher and technical education.

“The fundamental responsibility of the Government is to provide education. With increasing enrolment, we must improve the quality of all educational institutions, harness information technology and adopt state-of-the-art technology and equipment,” she added.

Ms. Gandhi referred to a number of major initiatives announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the development of the higher education sector in the country like starting 30 new Central Universities.

Extending her support to Jamia Hamdard’s effort in setting up the Hamdard Institute of Medical Science on the campus, the Congress president said she hoped it would emerge as a centre of excellence.

Remembering her family’s “long and treasured relationship” with Hakeem Abdul Hameed Saheb -- the founder of Jamia Hamdard – Ms. Gandhi said: “Hakeem Saheb’s memory is dear to us not just because he symbolised communal harmony but also because he worked tirelessly for the welfare of the weaker sections of society.”

Congratulating the graduating students and Ph.D. awardees at the Convocation, Ms. Gandhi urged them to reflect on how fortunate they had been to receive quality education and asserted that “all of us have a basic obligation to the lesser fortunate among us”.

“Whichever sphere you choose, you must have a sense of concern towards them,” she told the students.

Ms. Gandhi gave away 84 Ph.D. degrees and 93 gold medals to meritorious students for the academic period 2005-07. In all, 2,000 students received their degrees at the Convocation.

Vice-Chancellor Shamim Ahmad honoured Haryana Governor A. R. Kidwai and eminent nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar with honorary D.Sc. degrees.

In his report Prof. Ahmad highlighted various activities undertaken by the University in the academic and research fields.

“In terms of infrastructure, a 200-seated boys’ hostel was added recently. A four-storey building of Hamdard Nanobiotechnology Advanced Research Centre was completed recently to provide modular research laboratory facilities. The construction of a 200-seated girls’ hostel and flats for teaching faculty of the upcoming HIMS is on the anvil. Basic sciences laboratories for Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry and Community Medicines have been set up,” he said.

“The Academic Council,” he noted, “took an innovative step in introducing the engineering science programmes along with the ongoing courses of basic sciences and clinical sciences. Some new programmes like M.Sc. Bioinformatics will be launched from July this year.”

Prof. Ahmad said the University’s major requirements calling for urgent support were the projected HIMS included in the 11th Five Year Plan and adequate enhancement of University Grants Commission’s financial support for revenue expenditure.

Congratulating the University for its growth since former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated Jamia Hamdard in 1989, Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said in these times it was important to address the issues of access and equity.

Recalling the University’s “long, deep and emotional relationship” with Delhiites, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit commended it for the wide range of courses it offered, with a special emphasis on Unani medicine.

University Chancellor Saiyid Hamid was also present at the Convocation ceremony held in the spacious Vigyan Bhavan.

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