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New Delhi : The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on April 9, 2021, said that Jammu & Kashmir has been and will continue to be an integral part of India. He underlined India’s commitment to the overall development and addressing all the challenges unitedly. Any external interference in India’s internal affairs is unwarranted, he said. Speaking at the 3rd and 4th Convocation ceremony of IIM Jammu, Naidu called upon national institutes like IIMs to offer innovative courses and diplomas based on new market realities and demands of the fourth industrial revolution.

The Vice President also stressed the need for reorienting higher education in tune with the realities of the world. To this extent, he called for bringing diverse fields like agriculture, business, technology, humanities, and management, together through these courses. “This is the spirit of the multidisciplinary push of the New Education Policy (NEP). Remember, we cannot solve the problems of the future with the same superficial, segregated approach of the past,” he said. Underlining the importance of developing a mindset that encourages innovation and institutional reform that fosters creativity and promotes excellence, Naidu told the students that as future managers they have to respond to a world that is changing very rapidly. “Your ability to take decisions in an uncertain world and your agility to adapt to new contexts will become very crucial,” he added.

Underscoring the importance of educational institutions being agile and alert in anticipating the future trends, the Vice President pointed out that the world of learning and the world of work were changing very rapidly. He advised the institutions of higher education to “adapt, evolve and respond” to situations that have never before been faced by mankind, according to a PIB release. Calling upon the aspiring entrepreneurs, managers, and consultants to identify innovations at the grassroots and use their expertise to achieve scale for indigenous solutions, he urged them to bring in technology to complement the traditional skills of our craftsmen and increase farm productivity to help farmers.

Naidu also urged the graduating managements students to work with farmers in improving the marketing of farm produce. “e-NAM is a great tool for better price realisation. This should be further scaled up and new innovations be brought into post-harvest facilities,” he said. Naidu declared that youth is the biggest resource and partner for our country in its journey of development. Naidu also stressed that industry-institute linkages be further strengthened. He suggested that only through solving real-world problems, the students can become adept at the fundamentals of their subjects.

During the Convocation, the Vice President also recalled the great contribution of Jammu and Kashmir as an important centre of education since ancient times. Highlighting the works of Patanjali, Anandavardhana, Lalleswari, and Habba Khatoon from the region, he called for continuity in enriching the rich culture of learning and innovation.

The Vice President commended the institute for its growth and progress over the years and congratulated the outgoing students of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme as well as the administration. Dr Jitendra Singh,  Union Minister of State (I/C),  Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Milind Kamble, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIM Jammu, Dr B S Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, staff, students, and others were present during the ceremony.