Having enjoyed the benefits of higher education, the student community needs to play its part in solving problems related to increasing population, P.T. Manoharan, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras, said, addressing the Graduation Day of Pavendar Bharathidasan College of Engineering and Technology here recently.
Students have to find solutions on the fronts of food security, education for all, national security, industrial growth, societal improvements, environmental degradation, climatic change, resource generation and mobilisation, and recycling of waste or used material.
Quoting M.S. Swaminathan, the man behind the country's success in green revolution in the mid seventies, Prof. Manoharan said citizens should promote sustainable development to rescue earth from the brink of collapse.
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Prof. Manoharan said that there was a global opportunity in the field of waste recycling. It was not only a global industry worth a trillion dollars but also constituted a great service to the nation and the globe contributing to a large carbon credit, he said. Students as a group can become entrepreneurs and ask for venture capital for conversion of waste to wealth.
Another great opportunity was in the utilisation of solar energy. As India begins to mainstream climatic considerations in energy planning, the Centre has already committed Rs. 36,000 crore towards solar energy productions and products. The country may need a fully committed CSIR laboratory for research and development in the model of Scandia Laboratory of the US, and similar models of Australia.
In the backdrop of plentiful opportunities, being behind in certain human factors was a cause for great worry. Even as the country is capable of spending huge amounts of money justifiably for right and wrong reasons, it is sad to note that according to a new analysis 37 per cent – a jump of 10 per cent over the earlier estimate – accounting for 400 million people are below BPL category.
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“It is a challenge of great magnitude for qualified youngsters. We need to do an analysis of the great failure. Wealth production is needed for a country's progress, but doing it without proper justice to all is a crime.” Wealth without equity and fair play is not acceptable, he said.
“If India has to survive as a great nation, the great imbalance should be removed by all means," Prof. Manoharan, who is also Ramanna Fellow, IIT Madras, and Raman Chair Professor, IGNOU, New Delhi, said. “Totally eschew corruption, communalism, casteism and criminalisation, and try to think about nature, conservation, and poor people in each of your deeds and action,” he appealed.
Prof. Manoharan conferred degrees on 264 candidates, and honoured 32 students who had passed with distinction with prizes, in the presence of President of the College Council A.M. Raman and Managing Trustee M.R. Arun. Principal V. Kandasamy presented a report on the academic achievements during the year.