Mysuru: Exhorting the graduates of National Institute of Technology, Mysuru to do their part for the welfare of the society, vice-chairman of the All India Institute of Technical Education (
AICTE) MP Poonia on Saturday said, “Only 25 of every 100 students in India get an opportunity to pursue higher education, against 87 in America, and 40 in China. So, students in India who get an opportunity to study professional degrees must do something for the society, which has pinned its hopes on them.”
Indian students must also work towards enhancing India’s reputation globally, he added. “Every sixth person in the world is an Indian. Students must ensure they continue the rich traditions and values of India,” Poonia said.
Pointing out that India had a rich pool of human resource, Poonia added, “We dream of surpassing China in terms of economic development. We have an edge over them owing to our familiarity with English. Also, Indian students are very sharp, and very good at grasping ideas.”
Recalling India’s glorious tryst with education in the past, Poonia said, “India was a pionner in education, as the universities of Nalanda and Takshashila came into being 1,500 years ago. Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) only have a history of 500 years.”
Poonia also lamented the erosion of family values in India. “Earlier, when people lived in joint families, grandparents instilled values and morals in the children. Parents should call their wards at least once a day,” he said.
He also asked teachers not to stick to their jobs only for their salaries, which had risen manifold in the wake of the implementation of the seventh pay commission.
Meanwhile, R Nagaraja, managing director of Power Research and Development Consultants Pvt. Ltd, said, renewable energy, energy storage, and electric vehicles will be the future and students need to mould themselves to suit the demands of the market.
