Balasore, February 23(Odisha.in) Orissa Governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare has stressed upon the preservation of India’s socio-cultural heritagesthrough different courses and curriculums adopted by various Universities.
“Simultaneously they can add the benefits of international exposures and the technological advancement. India being a plural and democratic society steps should be taken by the universities to strengthen the foundation of our composite national culture at all cost,” he said.
Bhandare was here today to address the fourth convocation ceremony of Fakir Mohan University at its new campus Jnan Vijnan Vihar in Nuapadhi.
Emphasizing on higher education he said it has serious challenges from abroad and from inside and it should be built upon excellence. “As has been rightly taken up by the UGC in the XIth plan, our higher education must emphacise on inclusion, access, equity and excellence.”
“The university must have to take steps for bringing lager segments of the national population which have hitherto not benefited much from our higher education system. The poor, SC, ST, women, minorities and the disabled should have the attention of education planners and providers,” Bhandare said.
The chancellor was overwhelmed to announce that the women students in the university have outnumbered their counterpart. “It is heartening that the women and men student proportion here is 3:2,” he said.
He recommended to increase the number of universities and colleges and students strength as per the recommendation of national knowledge commission.
The Governor also appealed the faculty members and students to launch a mass based movement for motivating and teaching the children in the remote areas and tribal pockets emphacising not only on their literacy but also insisting on no drop outs particularly girls.
“Now what our educated young mass should do is spreading awareness against female infanticide, child labour, gender discrimination, bonded labour and superstition. Culturally and minerally rich Orissa can’t remain economically poorest,” he maintained.
Presenting a report on the university Vice chancellor Sukadev Nanda informed that the university has instituted a national award for prose literature in the name of Vyasakabi Fakir Mohan and first such award will soon be presented to eminent Malayali writer MT Vasudevan Nair.
Chairman of UGC Sukhadeo Thorat and university registrar Amulya Chandra Kar also spoke on this occasion.
While Justice Arijit Pasayat was conferred with LLD, Prof Sukhadeo Thorat, economist Prof Pravat Patnaik and chief of research and development wing of DRDO W Selvamurthy were honoured with Dlitt and DSc respectively.
Similarly, poet Subhashree Lenka, Sarangadhar Tripathy, Devishree Das, Sujata Sahu and six others were conferred PHD degree.
Odisha.in