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�Varsities should be role models in generating new ideas�

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 5 - Governor Professor Jagdish Mukhi observed that the level of higher education should be a potential tool in discussing, debating, articulating and executing the realm of ideas and their possibilities in various workable fields. He also called upon the vice-chancellors (VCs) to take a lead in creating a framework for raising the standard of higher education in the State.

Addressing the newly appointed VCs at an induction programme held at Raj Bhavan here today, Professor Mukhi said the VCs should play an important role for the universities to become the role model in creating and executing innovative ideas and become an epicentre for nurturing a pool of human resources which are responsible for the growth of the country.

The Governor also emphasised that a university should own responsibility in producing intellectuals by being a place of light, liberty and learning. The universities should complement sustainable development and improvement of the economy as a whole and also provide opportunities to individuals to achieve their aspirations while ensuring that a value-based society is forged.

Professor Mukhi said though the universities in Assam are putting in their best possible contributions to the progress of higher education in the State, they have to re-configure the whole curriculum and be regulated more towards skill development without compromising the philosophy of the subjects. He also said the universities should contribute significantly towards the pursuit of academic excellence and to the progress of Assam. He, however, pointed out that the challenge before the VCs is to reverse the traditional approach and transform universities into epicentres of unleashing the powerful human resources.

He stressed that the universities should lay importance to the issue of social inclusivity, especially of the poorer, weaker and underprivileged sections. Till now, though not much has been achieved in generating avenues for the marginalised sections to pursue higher education, the adequate scope has to be provided to address the issue. The Governor said institutes of higher education should also be the vanguards in the fight against social evils and they must create awareness among the population through extension activities.

The Governor observed that as the State moves towards a knowledge-based society, quality research should take centre-stage of social and business development. Quality research of contemporary relevance must be carried out by the universities. Moreover, taking into consideration of the important crossroads of social transformation that the society is at present, research on interdisciplinary courses should be encouraged, the Governor added.

The induction programme dealt with exclusively among others all norms set by the accreditation councils, faculty appointment, maintaining proper coordination between the government bodies and the university functionaries, issues relating to financial transactions and most importantly ways and means to turn higher education to catapult development of human resources and growth of the State.

Chairman of National Board of Accreditation Professor KK Agarwal, former Chairman of UPSC Professor DP Agrawal, Education Advisor to the Government of Assam Professor MK Chaudhuri, Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education Manindar Singh, Principal Secretary-Finance Samir Kumar Sinha, former Vice-Chancellor of Dibrugarh University Professor Alak Kumar Buragohain, Secretary to Governor Sanjib Kumar Gohain Barua and the newly appointed vice-chancellors of universities namely Professor Dibakar Das of Madhabdeb University, Professor Birinchi Kumar Das of Bhattadev University, Professor Amalendu Chakrabarty of Rabindranath Tagore University, Dr Dambarudhar Nath of Majuli University of Culture and Professor Laishram Ladu Singh of Bodoland University were present during the programme.

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