Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi on Tuesday said Assam University should champion the cause of basic science research and promote the interests of pure and applied sciences in the students of higher education.
Technology and its applications are changing lives every moment with space travel no longer a distant dream or artificial intelligence and robotics being no longer science fiction, the governor told a programme to celebrate the 27th foundation day of the University at Silchar.
"This development should not divert our attention from basic science research and the University should motivate its students into basic science research and make fundamental changes in the lives of the people living in the state," he said.
Mukhi also urged upon the university faculty members to strike a proper balance between science and humanities.
"The purpose of education should make an individual a well-rounded personality and a good human being. The university must help the students to imbibe interests in a range of subjects," he said.
For instance, a good scientist will become a better scientist with some knowledge of social sciences and liberal arts and similarly, a student of humanities will gain from an appreciation of science, Mukhi pointed out.
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Referring to New Education Policy of 2019 which emphasizes that higher education institutions should have the "autonomy to innovate" on matters of curriculum and assessment, the governor said all institutions of higher learning should imbibe the ideals laid down in the new educational policy.
The universities should also fund student clubs and activities and set up support centres for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, he added.