Thiru R.N. Ravi, Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirapalli, Thiru R. Kirlosh Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Governor of Tamil Nadu. Dignitaries, Vice Chancellors and Distinguished audience present in the hall.
We are having access to this discourse through LIVE coverage by Sansad TV. So, what is being transacted here is not limited to those present here, it will resonate not only to Vice-Chancellors but to all who are stakeholders in the rise of this nation, in improving the academic environment in the country.
A while ago, we observed silence. I join the nation in expressing profound grief and outrage at the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, that claimed innocent lives. It is a grim reminder that terrorism is a global menace to be addressed by humanity in unison.
Bharat is the world’s most peace-loving nation and our civilisational ethos, reflected in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is getting global resonance. Our visionary leadership in the shape of a Prime Minister who is in his third term is our greatest assurance that the nation’s rise cannot be handicapped by any situations- internal or external.
But we all must bear in mind that National Interest is supreme. This was echoed by no one else than Dr. B.R. Ambedkar while imparting his final address to the Constituent Assembly. We therefore have to take a resolve to always keep Nation First. National interest cannot be intertwined with partisan interest, it has to be uppermost. This cannot be subservient to any interest political, personal, or for a group. It was with this spirit that we observed silence.
Distinguished audience, I owe my present position only to education, was extremely fortunate to get a scholarship and good education. And I therefore realise the importance of good education. One that can cut into inequities. Can bring about dignity, can contribute to rise of the nation and therefore Hon’ble Governor, It is an absolute honour and privilege as also profound responsibility to share thoughts with those, the Vice-Chancellors, the academicians, the administrators in the field of education who shape those who are destined to shape our nation. That is our youth, our youth demographic dividend, is the envy of the world. It is contributing that is making a great difference.
I must commend the Hon’ble Governor Thiru R.N. Ravi for his very thoughtful initiative taken by him in 2022 to have ‘Conference of Vice-Chancellors’. The present one is one such in the series.
I have no doubt the deliberations will be very fruitful because when deliberations take place. Dialogue takes place, when there is sharing of thoughts, sharing of problems- Resolutions emerge. Issues that require to be addressed we get a way out. But I must commend Governor Ravi for another reason, he is doing this because it is his constitutional ordainment.
He has taken oath under the Indian Constitution, under Article 159. His oath as that of the Hon’ble President is very significant. The oath he has taken as Governor is to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law”. By his oath he is further enjoined, to devote to the service and well-being of the people of Tamil Nadu. By organising such events which are extremely relevant to the field of education, Governor Ravi is vindicating his oath.
Distinguished audience, Education is the most impactful transformative agent of change, and you all are aware the only constant is change, and change must be soothing to society, must be meaningful to society, must give order to society, respect to every individual. The citizen must pride himself or herself in the system in which he or she lives.
We need to nurture our education ecosystem in the backdrop of our historical legacy, Gurukul ! The Gurukul concept is sublime. A facet of service to society by Guru. There was free access to those who had earned knowledge, education. The Guru in Gurukul took everyone under his fold, as part of that family. That is our legacy, that calls for revival.
No one knows better than the people here and the people listening to me all over the country and some will come to know of it through print media and social media. I assert, Accessibility and affordability of education is vital but what is more significant in a world that is changing very fast. Accessibility and affordability has to be of quality education. Fortunately, in our country it is emerging as a national priority. Only quality education system for all can be transformative. The people here and people watching it are the prime motivators.
Time for your category, Distinguished audience to fire on all cylinders to bring about much needed change in education which can gain momentum with pro-active affirmative stance of Vice Chancellors, and others who are stakeholders by virtue of being in governance, political executive and bureaucracy.
Such Conferences and Congregations are crucibles of thought, policy, and purpose. And the thoughts are nurtured here, policies evolved. There is a purposeful definition of brainstorming sessions that catalyse the change we all need. I have no hesitation in indicating to you, this is a contemporaneous imperative need and essential. We need to focus on it as our supreme priority. These are also occasions for collective reflection, self-audit, soothingly auditing each other. Trying to monetize each other’s experience, Also, occasions for introspection, and then re-imagination to lay a blueprint for future, give direction to education in Bharat that is emerging as a world power. Never have we seen the might of the Indian Prime Minister being acclaimed by world leaders in countries, political sagacity within the country and outside have given Indians, Bharatiya a new respect. We are a nation to reckon with because Bharat stands for peace and welfare of all. Growth for all. Such interactions also help us to be in sync with emerging global trends. We can't be an island in ourselves. We have to see what is happening in other parts of the world and we also have to take notice of global trends and needs. We have to define our trajectory of growth as also of the world which we did centuries ago.
I am particularly elated that Tamil Nadu is taking a lead in this matter. Tamil Nadu is a land of vibrant learning centers, those learning centers must be our North star now. Tamil Nadu has been home to such widely accoladed learning centers like Kanchipuram and Ennayiram that attracted thousands of students from all over Bharat. I see these conferences as crucibles of ideation that will rekindle the spirit of Kanchipuram and bring back the glory of Ennayiram .
We must take pride that it was in Tamil Nadu, Madras University was established in 1857. Modern education was exemplified in this land, and University then and now has leadership in science, law, and liberal education and is reckoned as a prestigious Institution throughout the country.
Distinguished audience, Research and Development is now quintessential to progress. We can no longer depend on to gain from research elsewhere. We have to be on our own strength, our educational Institutions particularly Universities, IIMs, IITs, Institutes of excellence in science and otherwise have to be laboratories of research and innovation.
Our institutions must transform themselves from credential outfits into crucibles of innovation and character. We cannot reduce our Institutions just to hand out degrees. A degree from a university must be a potent power in the hand of a degree holder that can help him or her to fully exploit his or her potential and realize his/her talent and ambition.
I must express my one concern to this very distinguished audience, Research must correlate to much needed solutions. Research must be authentic and not just surface scratching or assimilation. You understand much better than I do, Research for the sake of research is no research.
A research paper must magnetically attract others as a solution provider. Research must be beyond self.
For leapfrogging to the education that our next generations would require; we would require a larger convergence of thought leaders and all stakeholders. This conference is a step in that direction. Those present and those not present all are gainers, a compulsive system sometimes comes in the way but as I indicated it is momentary. I cannot visualise anyone in the country whose heart does not pursue national growth. I have no doubt the benefits will be there and therefore Hon’ble Governor this conference series you started in 2022 is a well taken step in the right direction.
A sense of gratitude to Hon’ble Governor’s farsightedness, At the heart of India’s great institutions of the past, there were visionary leaders, or what we call modern day Vice Chancellors. The Vice-Chancellors of today are enormously talented, they are no less visionaries, they are giving everything which they can. They might face uphill tasks, difficult terrain or air pockets but I believe in their power to transform. They are worthy academicians who have the capacity to bring about results. They represent and epitomise the Kulapatis we had once.
I urge everyone in governance at the center and the state to believe in the institution of Vice-Chancellor and ensure they can perform undeterred by ordinary situations.
Today, we face formidable challenges: rapid technological disruption, it is far more severe than Industrial revolutions we had, A paradigm shift is taking place every moment. It is difficult to keep pace. The global order on this count is becoming increasingly complex .
Every facet of life is being affected, and it is therefore in the lap of Universities ably led on the front foot by Vice-Chancellors to act as stewards of India’s academic landscape. More the challenges, the more formidable, we must rise as impregnable not only to overcome them but also to deliver results for the nation and the world.
One challenge which the Vice-Chancellors must be facing is faculty. Faculty availability, faculty retention and sometimes faculty attrition. I would appeal to all of you to engage in sharing with one another. Use technology. Don’t be an island in yourself, it is not a time to be stand-alone because this challenge has to be fixed, we have no time.
As I indicated, I emphasize, we have well passed the era of stand-alone Institutions. It can't be IITs, IIMs. The Stand-alone era of Institutions is already behind us. There is now need of convergence of various verticals to give
institutions cutting edge. Multi-disciplinary approach across academic pursuits is the only answer. Share your faculty talent virtually, technologically and otherwise also. That will have two fold purposes while giving it, you will be receiving also.
The winds of innovation and change must have free passage in educational institutions. Evolve a mechanism, there has to be a tolerance for varying ideas. Intolerance to a thought defines democracy the wrong way. The nectar of University is that a solo voice that has an opinion different from the majority is heard with defiance by engaging in discourse not by being judgmental.
I appeal from this very important platform, Industry, business, commerce and corporates must channelise their CSR funds to handhold Universities liberally fund Research and Innovation. There is a great need for the emergence of Greenfield Institutions because new areas have come up suddenly - Disruptive Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain. They require a new kind of mindset, Space, Oceanography- new areas are emerging. Growth in those areas can be sustained only when you get to these sectors with skilled minds, trained minds.
The more fundamental question which we all are aware of, and that is we must go back to cultural roots of education also. It is multi-dimensional. We should, and why we should not, Our Institutions should reclaim the glory of the past. On this count I would share some concerns, Universities, Institutions of excellence and higher learning must assume the role as spaces of free thought and fearless ideation.
Ideation is very vital; A concept emerges out of ideation. Execution is not difficult. Ideation requires brain-storming, exchange of various opinions and the challenges we face to day—climate change, artificial intelligence, sustainability— they require interdisciplinary thinking and also ethical reasoning.
It is only in our Universities that we can go back to our Vedic knowledge, our civilisational wealth— A gold mine when it comes to ethics, innovation.
We must foster campuses where intellectual risk is encouraged. Risk is required. A failure is not a failure you must impart to your students. A failure is a myth. A failure is a stepping stone to success. We must believe in discovery, innovation and encourage people to engage in that activity.
In this rapidly shifting global landscape, Universities must not be passive observers but active change-makers. You have to catalyse the change you need, and the change you need is the change society needs. Our curriculum must be designed to prepare students not just to respond to change, but to lead the change. To define the trajectory of the change, to see the change which we need, not the change that overtakes us.
Our administrative structures must be a guiding principle to others. That is an attention not given for too long. Education must be distanced just from giving credentials and degrees. No, it must be purposive, it must serve societal causes, and therefore there must be partnership with all stakeholders– the government, the industry, the society, the NGOs and it must be beyond transactional purposes. It must be guided by the sole spirit to serve the nation. This collaborative approach is long overdue, I am sure you will bestow attention to this.
Distinguished Vice-Chancellors, your leadership must enable faculty and students to act not merely as recipients of institutional policy—but as co-creators of the future. We must promote high-impact, high-risk research that tackles real-world problems.
We must incentivize collaborations between universities, industries, and international partners. Fortunately, the present Government has shown a lot of focus on this but above all, we must reintegrate research with teaching. Our ancient model did not separate inquiry from instruction. We must return to that integrated spirit.
Today’s Bharat is different, we never imagined we would be in this shape. Exponential economic upsurge, Infrastructural phenomenal growth, technological penetration, global reputation, system of hope and possibility. When this is the landscape we must find a way for the ambitions of our youth to be satisfied. Right now there is a mechanism, and I wish it is disseminated extensively in a revolutionary manner.
From startups to space tech, from health innovation to green energy, from blue economy to space economy, the opportunity basket is wider than ever before. It is continually getting enlarged, but our youth is in silos. They are not aware of these opportunities and that is why we have mushroom growth of coaching classes. Every newspaper is having their advertisements. Please make our youth aware of the golden opportunities they have.
Let me indicate one aspect, the International Monetary Fund, and I know the shift that has taken place. In 1990, I was a Union Minister, I knew the stance of the IMF then, I know the stance of the IMF now. IMF says, India is a global destination of investment and opportunity. We need to tell our youth this accommodation is not for govt jobs, it is for the opportunities that are in the basket for youth. We therefore need a paradigm shift, distinguished Vice-Chancellors, A paradigm shift from our youth job seeking to job creations.
Now is the time for Bharat to create innovators and job givers. That transformation requires a Saarthi. Lord Krishna was Saarthi in Mahabharata. Our Vice-Chancellors are Saarthis. They have to bring about by navigation into the mindset of our youth that avail the opportunities. Benefit from the ecosystem of hope and possibility. You can realise your talent and potential because the government has affirmative policies, and for this the Vice-Chancellors are required to be proactive and if I may say so in absolute overdrive.
It is concerning, and the government has done much to come out of it. The mindset continues to be influenced by colonial remnants. Western narratives have distorted, diluting our achievements. We must neutralise them. Our Universities must become guardians of our cultural pride. They must reflect our civilisational confidence. Imagine which country can boast of such uniqueness, civilisational wealth, and India reminds the world every moment what peace is. What is inclusivity? India is a symbol of inclusivity which globally must be emulated.
Our universities must become guardians of cultural pride and civilizational confidence. We must create dedicated centres for the rigorous study of India’s scientific, philosophical, and artistic contributions. For that decolonization drive to fructify all those who are here and listen to this need to lead. We cannot be in captivity of calibration from outside, we do not know how they calibrate, what agenda they have in calibration? They often turn Nelson's eye to the impeccable, sustainable, growth trajectory of this country which continuously is getting on a high gradient and to do this the government has taken a great initiative. After 3 decades, taking into consideration inputs from the widest spectrum of stakeholders, there was an evolution of the National Education Policy. This policy aligns with our civilisational ethos. It encourages multidisciplinary learning, values Indian languages, and envisions education as the development of the whole person—not just employability.
The most significant aspect of NEP is that it allows students to learn in their mother tongue. Neither Buddha nor Pythagoras were thinking in English. Yet, they both arrived at this wonderful theorem in their own mother tongue. And we still continue to cling to this?
Contrary to the Constitutional spirit, I don’t want to go much into that, you can study. I have no doubt that as Governor, West Bengal I was closely associated with the evolution of NEP. It is game changing, it is transformative, It is hand holding them, giving them latitude but my problem is that those in academic institutions are not fully aware of this policy. I beseech you all and the faculty and directors wherever they are to please do a thorough study of National Education Policy to realize its real intent and purpose so that we reap the harvest of it.
From this platform I wish to indicate, NEP is not Government policy. It is a policy for the nation, and therefore I appeal, it is time for all to adopt it, understand it, execute it and reap the fruits. I need to indicate one more aspect, Our languages, their richness and depth are our pride and legacy. This aspect amplifies the fullness and uniqueness of Bharat. Go to any country and you will not find what we have here. Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Bangla and other languages are goldmine of literature and knowledge. These have national and global footprints.
Educational institutions have to nurture this treasure. Tamil has the distinction of being the first language to be accorded the prestige of being the classical language. This well-deserved recognition was imparted in 2004. Which means things started changing in regimes. Today, eleven such languages are recognized as classical languages in India, and classical languages are those which have rich culture, knowledge, literature, depth. Let me just indicate the eleven language because I had the privilege as Chairman, Rajya Sabha to declare to Rajya Sabha that Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were recently given the status of classical languages, but earlier we had as I said, Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia. Go all over the world, we are matchless, we have to realise our power, our potential. We should not be carried away by insignificant aspects. I don't want to dilate much because for me this is a pure education aspect. Those present are as important to me as those spread all over the country and getting to know about it by LIVE broadcast of Sansad TV but we have realised that if our students study in their own language, the results are not arithmetic, they are geometrical. They blossom and therefore this focus has come from the government, and must be disseminated.
There is one more aspect where educational institutions need to focus: alumni engagement. Alumni Associations, on a number of platforms I have addressed this issue. If you look at the global scenario, Alumni associations sustain the reputation of their Alma mater. Alumni Associations create a corpus which is in billions. One such Institution has a corpus of more than 50 billion USD.
Let us make a beginning, let us generate a spirit in every student who has been associated with Institution, make fiscal contribution. Quantum thereof is not important. It generates a different kind of connection because you become stakeholders in your alma mater’s growth. Structured robust alumni engagement frameworks across institutions will be game changer and would be transformative. Just imagine if we had confederations of alumni associations from institutions like IITs, IIMs, or AIIMS. We will have such a think tank. We will have a human resource reservoir that can help evolve policies. Why should we deprive ourselves of this? Take initiatives. I am sure you will start working on corpus culture and alumni associations.
Respected Vice Chancellors, we stand at a momentous crossroads. Behind us lies a legacy of greatness and interruption. I say interruption because 1300 years ago we had Nalanda, it was blossoming, it was set on fire. Fire consumed precious books and continued for days.
Ahead of us, the path is unwritten—but rich with possibility. Let us build institutions worthy of our civilizational past and capable of meeting the future with wisdom and strength. Let us build institutions that transform our universities into sanctuaries of timeless knowledge and laboratories of timeless innovation. The intellectual revitalization of Bharat is the highest category of renaissance, and that renaissance is awaiting Bharat. It is awaiting actions at your end. Make Bharat super academic power, that means it will be a global research resource. It is not a dream; it is a destination. Achievable like Viksit Bharat. If we could traverse our economy from fragile 5 to big five and now on way to big 3. Nothing stops us from making Bharat Vishwaguru.
Once again, I would like to impart a suggestion to Governor Ravi, certain things must not be taken emotively, those who could not make it must be having a situation. We must be understanding, we must appreciate everybody’s presence, we must appreciate everybody’s absence also. I am grateful for the patience you have shown.
Thank you so much.
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