"Although the Indian economy has grown rapidly over the last decade, the growth has been uneven with large pockets of poverty amid islands of affluence," Union Minister of state for Consumer Affairs and Food K V Thomas said today.
Considering this, we need to ensure that every Indian has the opportunity to have a decent quality of life and that the prevailing inequalities be reduced, Thomas said in his address at the 7th Convocation of the Karunya University, which was read in absentia by his brother.
"India has a significant percentage of the population in poverty-- who lack adequate food, clothing and shelter as well as access to health care and education," Thomas, who was reportedly indisposed, said.
Thomas said Indian higher education, especially professional, needs to become international in character and only then will Indian degrees be valued worldwide.
Accreditation processes, both national and international, were critical and need to free the institutions from the fetters of excessive regulation so that they can develop and flourish. Very few of our institutions appear in International rankings of higher education, he said.
About 2,000 students-- graduates, post graduates and Phds-- were awarded degrees by the Chancellor, Paul Dinakaran.
