Freebies given by governments cannot improve living standards for poor families, only education can achieve it, said G. Viswanathan, founder-chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), on Sunday.
In his presidential address at the STARS Day 2024 (Support The Advancement of Rural Students), organised by the Universal Higher Education Trust (UHET) of the Vellore VIT at its campus, Mr. Viswanathan said that even if governments give freebies to beneficiaries, who are mostly families living below the poverty line, it will not help uplift these families from poverty. It is only education that can improve their living standards, he said.
“Governments, both Centre and State, should ensure that more students enrol for education, especially for higher studies. In India, only around 27% of students do higher education whereas in China, around 60% of students pursue higher studies,” he added.
The Chancellor said that North Arcot district, which comprised the present-day Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai districts, had been economically and educationally backward many years ago. Public initiatives like scholarships and the State government’s efforts to reduce economic backwardness helped to increase the enrolment rate in schools and colleges here. Public donations through scholarships can help deserving students, he said.
Currently, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of Tamil Nadu is over 50% as against the national average of 27%. The Chancellor added that under the National Education Policy 2020, the Centre aims to achieve 50% GER by 2035.
On the occasion, Mr. Viswanathan released the VIT Stars Magazine. Film director Bharathiraja received the first copy of it. Film producer Kalaippuli S. Thanu and VIT vice-president Sankar Viswanathan were also present.
