Universities should become great thinkers in finding solutions to global challenges – Vice President
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today urged universities to become eminent thinkers to find solutions to global challenges like climate change, poverty and pollution. He also expressed the desire that universities should deliberate on various socio-economic and political issues facing the world and come up with ideas that can be implemented by governments according to their needs and suitability. Can you OP Virtually addressing the inaugural session of the World University Summit organized by Jindal University, Sonepat, the Vice President said that universities should produce good academicians, economists and politicians who have good conduct, ability, character and caliber.
Referring to the theme of the summit ‘Universities of the Future: Building Institutional Resilience, Social Responsibility and Community Impact’, Naidu called for promoting a multi-disciplinary approach, creating sustainable and appropriate solutions to the challenges we face. Emphasized the need for collective educational efforts to He said that sustainable development is the answer to many challenges facing the world today and universities can play a major role in this. He said that the universities need to incorporate sustainability as an underlying mission in all the activities being carried out in various sectors.
He said that virtual education cannot be a substitute for traditional classroom education. The Vice President emphasized that there is a need to develop a composite learning model for the future, incorporating the best elements of offline and online education. He said that such a model should be interactive and interesting for the learners as well as the teacher, so as to ensure maximum learning outcomes. Naidu emphasized that teaching is not just a supply of content but it should be designed to enable students to think independently and learn creatively. He said that learners should be molded in their chosen fields through active critical thinking so that they can grow as agents of social change.
Naidu acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a spurt in innovations in education, which can help us deliver education and build a more equitable system of learning. He stressed on the need to continuously improve and update the online educational ecosystem. Calling for promoting the use of Artificial Intelligence in teaching technology, the Vice President said that this can significantly enrich the teaching and learning experience, which can also provide personalized learning to each child. Apart from this, online educational tools should also be used in skill training and adult education to enhance the skills and employability of our vast youth population, he added.
The Vice President said that experts have cautioned that children who work on digital devices for long hours and stay indoors are at higher risk of developing myopia. He suggested that students should spend half their time in the class room and the rest in the playground or with nature.
The Vice President said that the current pandemic has made us realize that no politics in the world is fully prepared against the unknown dangers of the future. Referring to the adage ‘No one is safe until everyone is safe’, he said that a multi-pronged, multi-cultural, collective approach to crisis management on a global scale requires everyone’s cooperation. it occurs.
Appreciating the role of universities regarding COVID-19 vaccination and research in related areas, Naidu said that humanity is deeply grateful to the thousands of faculty members, research scholars and students who have contributed in their innumerable ways to conduct useful research for the betterment of the world. Days and nights have been spent working in silence.
Calling for internationalization of curriculum, he called for increased collaboration on research, joint classes and student projects with active industry participation. He expressed the desire that Indian universities should sensitize the world to the richness of ancient Indian knowledge systems that promote sustainable modes of production and consumption.
The Vice President described education as very important for laying a strong foundation for ensuring the economic and social prosperity of any nation. He is O.P. Jindal Global University being ranked among the top 700 universities globally and India’s number one private university in the QS World University Rankings 2021. Highlighting the importance of higher education, he said that higher education institutions, apart from the primary role of teaching and learning, are also centers of knowledge and rich intellectual capital, which through their impactful research also contribute significantly to nation building.
Noting the complexity and diversity of India’s large population, the Vice President also called for equality of access to education and a balance between quantity and quality of education to reap the huge demographic dividend. He said that with our rich history of Vedas and Upanishads, we should once again try to become the historical knowledge capital or Vishwa Guru of the world.
In this context, Naidu suggested that public-private partnerships are the way forward as governments alone cannot do everything. Appreciating the efforts of the founder Vice Chancellor of Jindal Global University, Naveen Jindal, he requested the social workers and industrialists to help in the field of education and also urged to help in the field of education by improving the facilities.
Vice President O.P. The Vice Chancellor of Jindal Global University, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar for bringing together over 150 thought leaders from over 25 countries to deliberate on promoting innovation in higher education. He expressed the hope that this three-day summit would result in some transformative ideas to innovate and re-imagine the future of Indian and global higher education.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof. (Dr.) D.P. Singh, O.P. Naveen Jindal, Founder Chancellor of Jindal Global University, Founding Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, O.P. Registrar, Jindal Global University, Prof. Dabiru Dhar Patnaik and other dignitaries also participated in this virtual program.
Vice President lauds 14 engineering colleges for offering courses in regional languages
Lauding the move of 14 engineering colleges across eight States to offer courses in regional languages, the Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has urged more educational institutions, particularly those imparting technical and professional studies to follow suit.
He affirmed that providing courses in the regional languages will serve as a boon to the students. Expressing his fervent desire, Shri Naidu said, “It is my desire to see the day when all vocational and professional courses like engineering, medicine and law are taught in mother languages.”
In a Facebook post titled ‘Engineering courses in mother language—A step in the right direction’, posted in 11 Indian languages today, the Vice President expressed his happiness over the decision of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to permit B. Tech programmes in 11 native languages—Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Malayalam, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi and Odia. He also welcomed the decision of 14 engineering colleges across eight states for offering regional languages in select branches from the new academic year. He said, “I strongly believe that it is a step in the right direction.”
Referring to the benefits of learning in the mother tongue, the Vice President said it enhances one’s grasping and comprehension levels. “To understand a subject in another language, one has to first learn and master that language, which needs a lot of effort. However, this is not the case while learning in one’s mother tongue,” he added.
Highlighting our country’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage, the Vice President said that India is home to hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects. He said, “Our linguistic diversity is one of the cornerstones of our rich cultural heritage.” Emphasizing on the significance of mother language, Shri Naidu said, “Our mother language or our native language is very special to us, as we share an umbilical cord relationship with it.”
Citing a UN report that one language in the world becomes extinct every two weeks, Shri Naidu expressed his concern that 196 Indian languages in India are endangered. He said, “There is a need for adopting a multipronged approach to protect our native languages and promote learning in the mother tongue.” Shri Naidu called upon people to learn as many languages as they can. He said that proficiency in different languages would provide an edge in today’s interconnected world. “With every language we learn, we deepen our connection with another culture,” he added.
Appreciating the steps taken by the government to protect languages, the Vice President pointed out that New Education Policy encourages imparting education, wherever possible in mother tongue/local language/regional language/home language at least till Class 5 and preferably till Class 8 and beyond. He said that many studies across the world have established that teaching in the mother tongue in the initial stages of education boosts a child’s self-esteem and enhances his or her creativity.
Shri Naidu also appreciated the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL) under the Ministry of Education for documenting and archiving languages that have become endangered or are likely to be endangered in the near future.
The Vice President said that the government alone could not bring about the desired change. He said, “People’s participation to protect our beautiful languages is critical to strengthen this thread of connectivity for our future generations.” Noting the hesitancy amongst people to communicate in their mother tongue, Shri Naidu urged people to speak in their mother tongue not only at home but wherever possible. He said, “Languages thrive and survive only when used extensively.”
