President Draupadi Murmu on Tuesday said educational institutions in the country should train their students to become “future ready” according to the changing times. The country will have the highest number of young people in the world over the next decades and the ability to provide high-quality educational opportunities will determine their future and the future of our country, she said.
The President was speaking at the inauguration of St. Joseph’s University in the city.
Aspirational generation
“It is the responsibility of educational institutions to train and equip their students in such a way that they are prepared for the demands of the future,” she said adding that the young population today are very aspirational and universities need to respond to these diverse aspirations.
Ms. Murmu said that to cater to the aspirations of the students, universities need to adapt out of the box thinking. “The National Education Policy 2020 is one such effort to make academics align with the changing needs.”
She said many of the students look towards the West for higher learning and research and that efforts should be made to make the country’s universities globally competitive so that the students get opportunities all over the world. She noted that many Indian institutions have earned a place in international rankings but their number is very small. She also said that it should become the aim of every Indian educational institution to become a centre of world class learning.
140-year-old institution
Under the Rashtriya Uchchathar Shiksha Abhiyan scheme, the 140-year-old St Joseph’s College (Autonomous) was granted the university status in July 2022. During the inaugural ceremony, Governor of Karnataka Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado and Chancellor Dionysius vaz SJ were also present.
Speaking at the event, Mr Bommai said that there is a paradigm shift in the levers of power and knowledge had become the real tool in the present day. While recalling how Britain invaded different countries during the earlier centuries for power, he said, “The 21st century is not the time for land and money, it is only for knowledge. Previously, all premiers of different countries used to come to Delhi, but now they do not. They come to Bengaluru. Even here, they do not come to Vidhana Soudha, but go to Infosys and Wipro.”
The Chief Minister also praised the St Joseph’s University for standing the test of time for over a period of one century. “It has been a part of the growth of not just Bengaluru, but entire Karnataka. It has given excellent students to society who have excelled to the best of their abilities in various fields.”
The President was offered a civic reception at Banquet Hall at Vidhana Soudha. She leaves Karnataka after a three-day visit on Wednesday.
