The students pursuing various courses in colleges and universities need to look beyond the elitist attractions brought by modern technological innovations, as there is much more to see, learn and understand from real issues and problems awaiting viable solutions, said Harish Hande, recipient of Asia’s prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award and founder chairman of SELCO India.
His remarks were part of the Foundation Lecture he delivered to the faculty and students of Rani Channamma University in Belagavi on Tuesday.
“Today’s youth are going after elitist things that technology has brought to them, thereby taking easy options instead of looking at the real problems which are plenty in number waiting to be solved,” he said.
Dr. Hande, speaking on the theme ‘Involvement of Youth for Sustainable Development’, pointed out that nearly 70 per cent of the country’s population was struggling hard to make both ends meet. Universities and graduates and post graduates boast about their degrees, but are not really interested in knowing what they learnt from acquiring these degrees: “Unless we break barriers of rich and poor, caste hierarchy and other hindrances, there is no way of coming out of the problems that we face.”
For instance, is there any institution, like a university or a college, making its students come out with a design to plan a vendor’s business for one day? “This may sound silly, but as one really sits down to make such an effort, he or she will face the real challenge. One should realise that street vendors are the real entrepreneurs of the country. Unfortunately, their contribution is not coming to light,” he observed.
“As the nation ambitiously looks forward to be a super power, the challenge and responsibility to achieve the objective is on the shoulders of the youth, who are expected to use their knowledge, skills and training on campus to evolve super-power solutions. But, if the gaps between the haves and the have-nots are not bridged, it will be a crime to be born poor in a country like ours,” Dr.Hande said.
Vice Chancellor Shivanand B. Hosamani and Registrar T.C. Taranath were also present at the event.
