Promote scientific temper among students: Prez tells NITs

Noting that some IITs in the country have entered the top 50 globally in civil and electrical engineering branches after restructuring in the past two years, President Pranab Mukherjee today said he was confident they would replicate the success in overall ranking.
Speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of National Institute of Technology (NIT) here, Mukherjee said he had been expressing concern that IITs and NITs in the country were not among the 200 institutes in the world.
Since September, 2012, there had been some restructuring. "Now it is very encouraging to see international rating agencies starting to recognise the quality of our institutes. Some of our IITs are in the top 50 in civil and electrical engineering," he said.

"I am confident that our institutes will replicate this initial success in overall ranking," he added.
The NITs in particular should take the cue from successful Indian institutions. Featuring in international ranking had several positive spin-offs in terms of intangibles like boosting the spirits of students and faculty, he said.
To identify the challenges facing NITs and workout strategies, a conference of Directors of NITs was organised in Rashtrapathi Bhavan last year and suggestions made during the conferencce were being implemented in a time-bound manner.

To address faculty shortage, vacant positions must be filled on a priority basis and external talent injected by hiring experts from the industry, laboratories and foreign universities on short-term basis, he said.

He also said India had recently become a permanent member of the Washington Accord, an international accreditation agreement among 17 countries for professional engineering degrees. "India's entry will enable global recognition for our degree and increase the mobility of our engineers."
Stressing that academic curricula must have industry focus, he said industry interface cells must be set up to establish linkages with local industry and industry associations.
Pressing for provision of e-classrooms for smarter dissemination of lectures, he said NITs must work towards promoting scientific tempers in their students.
"In this era of globalistation, we can derive competitive advantage only from an eco system that is conducive to new learning. We must muster enough technological prowess to be counted as an advanced nation," Mukherjee said.

Thrust of research must be to erase backwardness and wipe out deprivation. Innovation must improve the state of the underserved who want a positive difference in their lives, Mukherjee said.
"Institutions like yours must support ingenious ideas that promise betterment for those aspiring to rise up the socio- economic ladder -- help a farmer till the soil better, an artisan perfect his craft or a small entrepreneur improve the productivity of his venture," he said.
Earlier, the President offered prayers at Punnainallur Sri Mariamman Temple in neighbouring Thanjavur.