The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee attended the Convocation Ceremony of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidayalaya today (June 28, 2014) at Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Speaking on the occasion, the President reminded students that they should always keep in mind the fact that the wonderful education they have received is a contribution of the state and the community. The land on which their University stands has been provided by community. Similarly, these buildings, the books that fill their library, the online databases etc. come from money that the state has invested in them. The nation invests in its universities because students are our future. Students, in turn, have an important responsibility to fulfil, not just to themselves and their families but also to this country and its people.

The President said that universities have a duty to create inquisitiveness and promote scientific temper amongst their students. Wings should be given to the ingenuous ideas of students and grassroots innovators. Novel ideas that can be nurtured into viable products deserve mentoring by universities. An initiative taken in several central universities is the setting up of Innovation Clubs. Activities of such clubs must be dovetailed with innovation incubators located in IITs and NITs in the region. The engagement of clubs with incubators will help create an ‘innovation web’, to provide linkage between advanced centres of research and the common man. He urged Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya to take the lead in creating such an "innovation club” in Indore.

The President said that the Government of India is in the process of setting up a National Academic Depository (NAD). This will be a national database of academic qualifications for facilitating online verification of academic awards issued by boards and universities. This would immensely benefit institutions, students and employers by eliminating the need for persons to approach educational institutions for obtaining authenticated copies or for verification of awards as well as reduce the need for institutions to preserve records related to academic performance of students for long years. The President hoped that all these steps would be helpful in achieving targets in the field of higher education.

This release issued at 1505 hrs