The foundations for an inclusive society, “which presupposes a secular, democratic and progressive outlook,” must be laid in educational institutions, starting from schools, said N. Ram. Director, Kasturi and Sons, here on Saturday.
Addressing students of Velammal College of Engineering and Technology, on the occasion of the institution's first Graduation Day, Mr. Ram emphasised that students could not escape engagement with social issues, whatever might be their individual inclination, outlook, or choice. He described striking a balance between the pursuit of quality and excellence on the one side and the imperative need to make education at all levels accessible in a progressive modern sense on the other as the “educational challenge of India.”
“There is no use studying engineering, science and technology, medicine and so on unless you open your eyes and minds to what is going on in the rest of the country and indeed rest of the world,” he said while emphasising the role of education in cultivating the right attitude among students. A person pursuing college education in India must consider himself or herself as privileged in a large social sense and they had to remember that society and its arrangements had made this possible.
Mr. Ram said that curriculum; quality and commitment of the faculty; system of admissions that was fair, open and transparent; quality of infrastructure; linkages with the industry and other sectors of the economy; and placement and attitude of students and faculty members were the factors that determined the achievement of quality and excellence in education.
In the context of Madurai, Mr. Ram advised the young graduates to give up the attitude of being “lords of your own domain” and be content with that, without having the need to learn from what was being achieved in Chennai or Coimbatore or Bangalore. It would not be possible to realise their potential without looking at the achievements elsewhere.
The Chairman of Cethar Limited, Tiruchi, K. Subburaj, highlighted the need to believe in the self to succeed. He said that his company was now competing with seven world leaders on the strength of self-belief and opined that students, who were entering a world of demands and challenges, would rise only with conviction. Mr. Subburaj did not agree with the practice of calling someone unemployable as youngsters had achieved wonders. It was the attitude that made a person great. He listed a will to excel; ability to understand and evaluate anything; conviction to stand behind decisions; passion to upgrade domain knowledge; knowledge to prioritise time; self-belief in adverse situations; courage to face reality; and commitment to fairness as the ingredients for success.
In his presidential address, M. V. Muthuramalingam, chairman, Velammal Educational Trust, called upon the students to come out of the “Madurai mindset.” He wanted them to go out of Madurai to earn wealth and come back to invest it here. The Principal, N. Sureshkumar, presented a report of the achievements of the college.
