President Pranab Mukherjee today said the country's success will lie in mobilising all the "positive forces to fight the scourges of poverty deprivation and backwardness."
India is emerging global power, he said, adding "yet, there are many in this country in the periphery of basic needs. Success of our nation will lie in mobilising all the positive forces to fight the scourges of poverty deprivation and backwardness," he said.
Mukherjee was delivering the maiden convocation address at the Central University of Kerala on the permanent campus at Periye in Kasargod district today.
Pointing out that the country is faced with a scarcity of good teachers in universities, he said "the challenge before us is two-fold, fill up vacant teaching positions and attract the best talent."
"If students are the future of this nation, it is the teacher who shapes them," he said.
Innovative measures like appointing eminent resources on short term basis from research institutions, industry or from abroad have to be adopted to reduce vacancies without dilution of standards, Mukherjee said.
"Quality of faculty has to be transformed by providing them encouragement to attend seminars and workshops, undertake collaborative research and contribute to research publications."
"Needless to say boosting faculty standards is crucial for upgrading our higher education sector," he said.
He said the Central University of Kerala has attained an important landmark in its journey to continuous development and "it is indeed a moment of pride, joy, satisfaction and fulfillment for the student and entire university community."
"Convocation day should be a time for introspection about the purpose of education and its role in the development of the individual and the nation," Mukherjee said.
