India lagging behind in research, says President pranab Mukherhee at Osmania University centenary celebrations

He emphasised on having world-class universities where mighty minds would come from all over the world both in form of teachers and students.
Osmania University in Hyderabad decorated with lights for the Centenary celebrations. (R Satish Babu | EPS)
Osmania University in Hyderabad decorated with lights for the Centenary celebrations. (R Satish Babu | EPS)

HYDERABAD: President Pranab Mukherjee stressed on the topic which is close to research scholars and academicians: the state of basic research in our country, on Wednesday. He said that we are lagging far behind in basic research, innovation and that we cannot attain excellence in education if these aspects are neglected.

The president was in Hyderabad on Wednesday as chief guest of inauguration of Osmania University (OU) centenary celebrations.

At the celebrations, which were attended by students, alumni, professors from OU and other universities, he recalled his conversation with director of IIT-Kharagpur. The president said that when asked, the director said that the institution has 100 per cent placement rate and quite large number of ex-students are devoted to basic research abroad, but not in India.

“When you are celebrating 100 years of your prestigious institution, dear students, esteemed faculty members, I will urge you to look into this aspect. We are lagging far behind in basic research, innovation. And we cannot attain excellence in education if this aspect is neglected,” the Mukherjee said.

He said that academic institutions alone cannot be blamed for this as they require uninterrupted flow of funds which comes either from government or from industry. “State funding is not possible to the extent it requires. Industry must come forward,” Pranab Mukherjee said.

After inauguration of the centenary celebrations, the president would attend the first convocation of English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad which was scheduled for Wednesday early evening.

Governor ESL Narasimhan, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Union minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya and others attended the centenary celebrations.

Meanwhile, a few students staged flash protests near the venue of the inauguration programme, against Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for not implementing promise to release job notification.

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