As a university is the apex of the education system, it is incumbent on higher educational institutions to provide quality education to transform the entire education system. The demographic dividend talked about will fructify if the nation can provide the growing number of youth good education, knowledge and skills, said President of India Pranab Mukherjee which speaking at the first convocation of Swami Rama Himalayan University here on Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said, “Mere expansion of higher education by establishing more centres of higher learning is not enough. Unless we take care of quality, the objective of preparing young minds into capable, confident and committed individuals will not be met. An all-out effort to maintain good standards in our higher academic institutions is required, be it in developing the faculty, nurturing core competencies, establishing linkages with other institutions, networking with the industry, or focusing on research and innovation.”
“The research areas should be prioritised to solve specific socio-economic problems. It is the duty of our institutions to instill in their students core civilizational values—love for their motherland, a sense of responsibility towards their society, and a compassion for all. The higher education system should produce sound professionals with a strong social sensitivity,” said the President.
Referring to Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust founder Swami Rama, Mukherjee called him a great philosopher, teacher, yogi and humanitarian. He said, “Swami Rama, when he was young, trekked the peaks and valleys of the Himalayas. It was then that he became acutely aware of the lack of development, limited access to affordable healthcare and shortage of livelihood opportunities in the region. Deciding to return one day and make a difference in the lives of the inhabitants, he founded the HIHT in order to provide education, healthcare and livelihood skills.”
Recalling that the university was developing integrated and cost-effective approaches to healthcare and development, he said that this will address the needs of the local population.
Congratulating the medical, nursing the management students receiving their degrees, he called them the future and the hope of our nation. The prime focus of such a system should be the welfare of patients only.
He stressed on the need for dedicated nurses, doctors and managers to make healthcare more scientific and efficient. Addressing the students the President suggested, “Don’t be anxious about your future- learn to live in the present. Don’t brood over the past as you cannot undo what has already taken place. Counter-factual thinking should find no place in your present and future endeavours. Do not be afraid of failures; let failure be a source of learning and do trust yourself as we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. Be a life-long learner, remembering that graduation is a concept while in real life, you graduate every day. Remember that change is the law of nature. like old foliage that drops off in autumn, to be replaced by new foliage in the spring, try to adapt to change and become an agent for change. Old ideas and approaches that no longer serve any purpose should give way to better ideas. It is your creativity that can usher in change. So, proceed in the journey of life with an attitude to learn and an aptitude to think new.”
Speaking on the occasion, the Uttarakhand Governor Krishan Kant Paul emphasised on the need for making higher educational vocation oriented. He said, “Through higher education, the youth seeking employment can be developed into those who provide employment. In order to achieve this, qualitative improvements will have to be made in higher education in Uttarakhand. We need to lay special focus on skill development and vocational education so that our youth can be empowered and generate self employment. We need an education system where universities are made into centres of knowledge dissemination also providing encouragement to innovations and experimentation. We need an education system that also builds character of our youth while also encouraging them to think from the new perspective, making them creative and self confident.”