BENGALURU: Emphasising the need for maintaining high standards in academic institutions, President Pranab Mukherjee has exhorted the Karnataka government to develop the Bengaluru Dr. B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) as an institution of excellence of global standards.
The President in his address after laying the foundation stone for the BASE here on Friday cautioned the state government against having a local perspective for the BASE. "I would like to request all stakeholders of BASE to ensure that our objective should be international, not local interest. Serve the interest of excellence to attract the best to BASE," he said.
Terming the setting up of BASE as one more feather in the crown of Bengaluru, Pranab said, "It should not be a localised institution."
Pranab conveyed his displeasure at the quality of education and the state of affairs in the universities. "There are about 760 universities in India and over 30,000 degree colleges. In the last 5 years I am constantly asking what have we achieved with the huge education infrastructure. Thousands of Indian students go to USA, Australia, New Zealand, England for higher education. It is not that we do not have good teachers or students. There is no appropriate atmosphere. I would request all the stakeholders of BASE to ensure that our objective is international, not local," the President said.
He also questioned as to why Indian universities have not produced personalities like CV Raman who was awarded the Nobel Prize and attributed it to the lack of appropriate atmosphere in Indian universities.
Recalling the universities of Nalanda and Taxila in Indian history which were centres of learning of international repute, Pranab wanted BASE to be a one such model institution of global standards.
Prez bats for Skills Development University
The President advocated the need for an exclusive University for Skills Development for India to reap the fruits of its huge demography. Millions of youth are coming out of colleges every year and they need to be equipped with required skills to make them employable. An exclusive Skills Development University is needed to deliver on this challenge, he said.
"Skills development may not appear glamorous, but most it is most important in Indian context," he added.
CM promises greater importance for higher education
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his address reiterated his commitment for greater importance for higher education. This is evident from the state's gross enrollment ratio being 27% as against national average of 24%, he said.
"We intend to raise it to 40% in the next 10 years by providing incentives for taking up collegiate education by the youth,” he added.