The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee attended the first convocation of Indian Institute of Technology, Indore today (June 8, 2013).
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the first batch of one hundred and one engineering students graduating from Indian Institute of Technology, Indore was a major milestone in the annals of the Institute. He said that alumni are active in the affairs of top universities in the US including Harvard. He expressed the hope that the students leaving the portals of IIT Indore today would continue their association with their alma mater in a meaningful way.
The President said that it is a matter of concern that the list of top two hundred universities in the world does not contain a single Indian institution. The past has not been like this. Ancient Indian universities like Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Valabhi, Somapura and Odantapuri had dominated the world higher education system for many years. He said that our higher education sector today does not have enough good quality institutions to meet the growing aspirations of our youth. He stated that along with measures to increase quantity, the drive to enhance the quality of education should engage the attention of our policy makers.
The President said that affordability accessibility and availability are the key words in higher education. Technology can enable refinement in teaching methodology. It can address the challenges of quantity, quality, accessibility and faculty shortage. E-classrooms permit information and knowledge sharing by wider dispersal of lectures overcoming distance. He said that the products of our higher education should be better prepared for a highly competitive world. Centres of higher learning should have the expertise to impart such skills training. They should emphasize on research, innovation and development, the President added.
This release issued at 1340 hrs