Need to re-imagine and reconstruct higher education system : Naidu

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu on November 18, 2018, stressed on the need to re-imagine and reconstruct the higher education system in tune with the requirements 21st century. Launching Krea University here, he said that the institutes of eminence must aim to ensure all round development of an individual apart from imparting quality education.

Naidu said that institutions like the Krea University with sights set firmly on the achievement of brilliance and distinction at the global platform must serve us in good stead in our quest for fast track progress and all round development. He called for an impactful coordination of Public-Private Sector in providing such education system. The Government should play the role of a strong facilitator and others supplement government’s efforts, he added.

Naidu said that not having enough high quality researchers and the declining number of students doing PhDs and entering research posts was a matter of concern. A country as populous as India and facing innumerable challenges from poverty to environmental degradation simply cannot do without innovation, he said. Stating that universities should become hubs of innovation, the Vice President said that they must not become breeding grounds for resentment, frustration or discrimination. A university should be a place of enlightenment, a sanctuary of positive thoughts and safe haven of wisdom and knowledge, he added.

Expressing concern that the higher education system in India still lags behind the standards of the world’s best universities,  Naidu said that in 2018 too, no Indian university was able to secure a place in the top 100 best universities in the QS World University Ranking. American and European universities still rule the list, he said, according to a PIB release. He said that Indian Universities face a number of problems starting from shortage of funds to inadequate number of teachers to falling enrollment numbers. Naidu said that the demand for skilled manpower in India is predicted to be 700 million by 2022 and India must equip the young and students with employable skills.