PANJIM: President Pranab Mukherjee has applauded Goa University’s (GU) efforts in adopting a variety of initiatives in shaping up a healthier future for the students. Speaking at the 29th annual convocation of the university, Mukherjee said he was also elated to learn that most GU students are girls and they beat boys in various departments. 

“It is heartening to know that GU has taken unique initiatives to provide a platform for interaction between achievers in different fields like classical music, history, language, political economy, arts, and its students. The Visiting Research Professorship Programme of this university has brought some of India’s brightest minds here during its last four years. It has made the knowledge and wisdom of these experts available to the students as well as members of the public,” he said while also stressing the need for quality education in all educational institutes.  

“I am also happy to learn that women comprise a high percentage of the student population in GU, and that girl students outshone the boys when prizes were being distributed.  It is important that young women particularly those belonging to marginal sections gain increased access to the portals of colleges and universities. Women’s empowerment through education will have a positive impact on our future generation,” he further said. 

The President also stated said that the country is at a very challenging phase of its socio-economic transition and to take the advantage of the unfolding opportunities, the nation has to galvanize its demographic strength. “India is presently at a very challenging phase of its socio-economic transition. We are in the midst of global changes that are both complex and unpredictable. Indian expertise and talent has much demand worldwide. The prospects in a liberal Economic environment are immense. Yet, to take advantage of the unfolding opportunities in a globalized market, we have to galvanize our demographic strength,” he added.

Mukherjee, who flew down to Goa from Delhi to attend the convocation, was conferred with Degree of Doctor of Letters of GU by Governor Dr Mridula Sinha.

“The youthful character of our nation - 600 million people in the age group of 25 years and below – has to become our asset in our surge for advancement. For that, we need to provide sound training to our youth to build capacity for undertaking skilled work. It will help prepare them for challenging job roles in the global economic community. They have to be inculcated with the aptitude to think ahead. For, lot of ideas capable of making an impact transmits faster than ever before today,” he elaborated. 

He went on to state that universities will have to take the lead in this regard but this, he added, is a task that can hardly be accomplished by the public institutions alone. “It will require a new paradigm of partnership between the various stakeholders such as industry, voluntary sector, central and state agencies. All stakeholders have to be involved in these efforts,” he said. 

Mukherjee also insisted on quality education in the institutions across the nation in a bid to prepare graduates for a competitive global economy. He also said that this will call for adoption of global best practices for world-class academic management for which the institutions will have to work relentlessly towards excellence.  “They have to provide the best of amenities to their academic community. Models of teaching have to be adaptive to the latest trends and also the changing learner profile.