Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Monday called for an integrated approach in the education system by combining science with humanities to help young men and women understand society better.
Addressing the 5th convocation of SRM University in Kattankulathur near here, she said there was a need for incorporating aspects of humanities into the curricula of science specialisations.
There was also a need to humanise science disciplines in order to inculcate in the minds of students, a perspective about the individual, society, the nation and the world. “Every educated youngster should have a perspective about how our polity works and what our Constitution seeks to achieve for the nation,” she said.
She added that as educated youth, students had a great obligation to strive for social change in their own ways and guard against social evils such as gender discrimination, the dowry system, domestic violence and female foeticide.
Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K. Radhakrishnan, who received an honorary degree of Doctor in Science, said India was instrumental in discovering water particles on the moon through Chandrayaan. Whatever India had achieved in the area of space science was the efforts of its work in the past five decades.
Among the six countries to have capabilities for satellites and launch vehicles, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the entire world looked up to India now. He also said a nano satellite designed at the SRM would be sent along with ISRO’s PSLV in 2010.
A total of 4,519 students from 86 disciplines received undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma certificates and doctorates.
Prashantha Battacharya, B.Tech Computer Science, received the Corporation Bank’s Gold Medal for the best outgoing student. T.R. Pachamuthu, SRM University Chancellor, presided. P. Sathyanarayanan, Vice-Chancellor presented the annual report. P. Ravi and T.P. Ganesan, Pro Chancellors, were also present.
