President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Maharaja Agrasen University at Kalujhanda in Himachal Pradesh's Solan District on Saturday, and called fro universities across the country to identify one department that could be made into a centre of excellence.
Mukherjee said that the evolving demographic profile of India, with two-third of its population expected to be in the working age group by 2025, presents "before us an opportunity for greater development."
"This demographic dividend is for our taking, but for that, our youth must be qualified and trained to participate in national progress," he added.
"It is possible to revive the lost glory of our higher education system and take at least a few of our universities into the global top league. But for that, we have to make innovative changes in the way our institutes of higher learning are administered and education in them rendered," Mukherjee further said.
"We must allow adequate flexibility in different aspects of academic management. There is a need to instill a culture of excellence in them. Every university should identify at least one department that can be made into a Centre of Excellence," he added.