Institutions imparting legal education should embrace innovation, President Ram Nath Kovind said here on Saturday.
He was speaking at the platinum jubilee celebrations of Karnatak Law Society.
“Law colleges should not only teach about bioethics, genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, but also support research and innovation in these fields,” he said.
“India is in the midst of a dramatic change. The decisions we take today will not only impact our today, but also our tomorrow. This is the age of technology and entrepreneurship. We have the fourth industrial revolution before us and the aspirations of the youth are changing. At this juncture, our education institutions should be compatible with innovation and excellence needed in these times,” the President said.
He said higher education is a priority area for his presidency. The process of overhauling higher education is under way. As many as 60 universities have got the facility of credit autonomy. Twenty institutions have got institutions of eminence tag. They will have the freedom of flexibility in choosing faculty and curriculum, he said.
Institutions such as the KLS should exploit such opportunities, he said.
Glory of Belagavi
Recalling the glorious history of Belagavi, Mr. Kovind said: “Thousands of years ago, it was home to Jain monks who brought with them spiritualism and scholarship. In 1892, Swami Vivekananda visited Belagavi. I’m told that the idea of his participation at World Parliament of Religions in Chicago occurred to him here.”
Belagavi has emerged as a symbol of our nation and a notable home for our military community, our economic assets and, of course, for our cultural and classical music traditions, he said.
Belagavi is a well-known industrial hub. A hundred years ago, it became famous for making vaccines. In the mid-20th century, its foundries and metal industry contributed to building our national economy. Today, an emerging aerospace industry promises jobs and prosperity, Mr. Kovind said.
On KLS
The President acknowledged the contribution of Karnatak Law Society’s 80-year-old Raja Lakhamgouda Law College for throwing up a “galaxy of legal minds”.
They include two former Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of India E.S. Venkataramiah and S. Rajendra Babu, as well as Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal. Any law college would be proud of such renowned students and any student would be proud of such a renowned law college, he said.