There is an urgent need to work for quality and innovation in the education sector to meet the emerging opportunities, improve employability of the younger generation and handle the future challenges effectively, said Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Tamil Nadu.
According to the New Education Policy “in the cultural plural society of the country, education should foster universal and eternal values, oriented towards the unity and integrity of the people”. Youth and children have to be sensitised to the problems of inequities, poverty, undemocratic practices and reiterating commitment for upholding the values of equality, justice, freedom and fraternity, Mr. Purohit said while inaugurating the 41st Indian Social Science Congress (ISSA) here on Monday.
The Congress has been brought up jointly by the Periyar University and the Allahabad-based Indian Academy of Social Sciences.
The Governor said that the present day’s global scenario posed unprecedented challenges for the higher education system.
Mr. Purohit said that the development of human resources for the economy is also being translated into action through vocational and professional education. The Centre has set up Skill India Programme with the aim of bringing up the government and corporate sector together to frame a demand based curriculum.
He said that the “Startup India” and “Standup India” programmes have taken the education system to greater heights. He expressed confidence that the initiatives of the Centre will enable the country to achieve the distinction of a superpower.
“After Independence, India has made remarkable progress in the field of higher education. India is one of the biggest higher education system in the world with about 800 universities and 40,000 colleges accounting for more than 3.4 crore students,” he said.
Referring to the education set up in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Purohit said that the State had always accorded priority for development of its human resource and has topped the list with a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 44.3.
On the achievements of the educational institutions of the state, he said that ten universities and 37 colleges have found a place among the top hundred universities and colleges respectively in the country.
Five State universities have applied for the status of Institution of Eminence, he added.
Sunil Paliwal, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, said that the focal theme of the Congress “a critical appraisal of the Indian University Education System” assumes importance because of the worldwide impact of this concept and the recent advances in the area of higher education in the country. There is a matching effort in Tamil Nadu to elevate the standards of higher education to that of the global benchmark.
Mr. Paliwal said that many schemes have been devised for the uplift of infrastructure in existing and new colleges.
