Panaji: Stressing on the need to create the right ecosystem for thriving of research and innovation in universities and higher education institutions, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday appealed to the vice chancellors of universities and educationists to give the required thrust to research, in tune with the objectives of the New Education Policy-2020.
Naidu was speaking after inaugurating the new campus of the Sant Sohirobanath Ambiye Government College of Arts and Commerce at Pernem.
Speaking further, the Vice President said the exposure to arts and social sciences is known to increase creativity, improve critical thinking and enhance communication skills among students.
“These qualities are in high demand in the 21st century economy where no sector of the economy works in solo,” he added while addressing a gathering, in the presence of Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik.
Naidu maintained that the era of strict segregation of subjects is a thing of the past as the world today is increasingly adopting a multidisciplinary approach in higher education to produce well-rounded individuals and better research outcomes.
He further emphasised on the need to produce world-class researchers not just in sciences, but also in social science, languages and the fields of commerce and economics, while praising the state government for setting up commerce and economics laboratories as well as language labs in several institutes around Goa.
Recalling that ancient India was a home to several renowned institutions of advanced learning such as Nalanda, Vikramshila and Takshashila, the Vice President impressed upon the need to regain the past glory and make India a leading nation in the field of education, research and innovation.
He praised the government for its plans to set up the Goa State Research Foundation for promoting research work in multidisciplinary projects.
“Higher education prepares students for more meaningful and productive roles and plays an important role in improving the standards of living,” Naidu said, adding that quality higher education is invariably a hallmark of all developed economies.
He praised Goa for performing well in the field of higher education, and appreciated that the state had a Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education for women at 30 per cent, against the national average of 27.3 per cent.
Lauding the state for having more performing female students than males in higher education, Naidu said that this is a very good sign and must serve as an inspiration to other states.
Observing that nature must not be neglected in the quest for development, he observed that a butterfly and a garden are as important as the latest IT tools, and stressed on the need for students to spend half of their time in the classroom and the remaining half in a playground or in the lap of nature.
The Vice President advised youth to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy dietary habits and consumption of harmful substances. “It is important to remain physically fit by undertaking regular exercises or yoga,” he advised, conveying happiness that the Pernem college has steadily progressed over the years and expressing hope that the expanded facilities at the institution would be beneficial for rural students from the area.
Naidu also praised the college for its focus on sports for all-round development of the students and asked the faculty and students to always keep the bar high and strive for excellence.
Pillai, Naik and Sawant also spoke on the occasion.
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