Educational and job opportunities for the youth were bound to increase with the country emerging as a major world player economically and measures were needed to tap the potential of the human capital, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu today said.
Each institution should look into its own functioning and identify areas that require reform and those requiring transformation "in consonance with the Prime Minister's call to reform, perform and transform," he said.
He was addressing the faculty and students of Pondicherry Central University here.
Naidu said "today we are living in interesting times. India is emerging as a major world player economically. Indian economy which is growing at more than seven per cent is poised to become the third largest economy in the coming ten to fifteen years. We are in a transformational, aspirational India."
"As the economy transforms, educational and job opportunities for the youth are also bound to increase and the living standards of people are expected to improve further," Naidu, who is also Chancellor under the provisions of the Pondicherry University Act, said.
Stressing the need to fully tap the potential of the human capital by ensuring they had the knowledge and skill required for the twenty-first century world, the vice- president said "we must ensure that there are enough opportunities for the youth to start new enterprises and generate new jobs."
He further said with the government already focusing on these two aspects through programmes like "Skill India" and "Start Up India" universities had the onerous responsibility to create new courses and improve teaching and learning processes to make the students ready to take on the challenges.
Naidu also stressed there should be "gender sensitisation."
"Some of the recent incidents of crimes against women are shameful and a matter of serious concern. We all have to act collectively to raise awareness against discrimination of the girl child," he said.
There should be renewed focus on gender equality and safety of women, the vice-president said adding this gender sensitisation must begin at home and continue in schools, colleges and universities.
Naidu said the entire world was watching India thanks to advances in the technical field.
He said the youth should preserve the culture and heritage of the country and follow them.
All Indian universities could teach everything in the mother tongue of the learners while at the same time all languages should be learnt without any difference, the vice-president said.
He urged students to dream big and aim high as suggested by former president, the late APJ Abdul Kalam.
Pondicherry University Vice-Chancellor Gurmeet Singh, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy were among those present.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)