Institutions of higher learning have to promote a culture of excellence and develop core competencies. They have to resort to use of technology tools like e-classrooms to enable sharing of ideas and intellectual resources like lectures and tutorials, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Friday. Delivering the convocation address at the 4th Convocation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Raipur, the President said that the Government is taking proactive steps to ensure that students receive the required knowledge and skills that are essential to meet new needs.
‘A key decision taken recently in this regard is the setting up of a National Ranking Framework for higher educational institutions. I hope this will generate healthy competition amongst our institutions for excellence, including IIM’, he said. Besides, the Government of India has also planned to start SWAYAM or (Smart Webs of Active learning for Young Aspiring Minds) Courses in OPEN, that is (Online Platform for Education) mode from 2015-16 for all learners interested in acquiring additional skills, the President said said.
“Setting up of more and more institutions to impart higher education is important. It is however equally essential that with the physical expansion of educational infrastructure, the education imparted to our students should also be of a high quality “Our academic institutes have to be dynamic and hands-on in facing emerging challenges,” he said.
They have to expand capacity to cater to more students and at the same time uphold the quality of instruction, the President said. He also expressed happiness that IIM Raipur has partnered with All India Institute of Medical Sciences in a novel initiative to develop programs in healthcare management.
Stressing that research and innovation is the cornerstone of any academic endeavour, he said,” It is innovation due to which industrial enterprises show high growth momentum and keep themselves ahead of their competitors. As per a 2014 international survey, there are only five Indian firms amongst the world’s hundred most innovative companies. We have to strive harder, Mukherjee said.
“Our academic institutions and industry have to engage with one another and benefit mutually from partnerships in joint research, curriculum development and setting up of chairs, incubation centres and research parks,” he added. “A concerted and determined effort to renew India, bolstered by ideas and imagination of a premier institution like IIM Raipur can help our nation realise Gandhiji’s dream of a Swachh and Samarth Bharat,” he added.
As many as five students of the institute were felicitated by the President Pranab Mukherjee with gold medals on the occasion. Governor Balramji Das Tondon, Chief Minister Raman Singh, Higher Education Minister Prem Prakash Pandey, MP Ramesh Bais, Chairman, Board of Governors of IIM Raipur Hari S Bhartia and Director of IIM, Raipur BS Sahay were present on the occasion.