CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said around 3.15 lakh students are expected to go abroad for studies this year, adding that the state government was committed to stopping brain drain by creating new opportunities so that the youth need not go to foreign shores in pursuit of their dreams as they would get jobs in keeping with their degrees.
Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann conferred degrees to the students of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU) at Bathinda during the first convocation ceremony.
Addressing the students, Chief Minister Mann congratulated them for getting degrees from the premier institute. He said that the Punjab government was committed to stopping brain drain from Punjab by creating new opportunities so that the youth of the state should not go to foreign shores in pursuit of their dreams. He added that it would be the other way round, with people from foreign countries flocking to Punjab to work here.
He said that this was the era of technical education so the current education needs to be in sync with the employment opportunities available. Seeking some time to create an industry friendly environment in the state to provide employment in Punjab itself, he appealed to youngsters to serve their own motherland. Mann also appealed to parents to give freedom to their children, especially girls, to excel in the field of their choice. He said parents should stop spoon feeding their children and should rather strengthen their skills by providing them an open environment to prove themselves.
Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, delivering the convocation address, said that technologists are problem solvers who search for quicker, better and less expensive ways to meet tough challenges and universities like MRSPTU gear up the technologists to fulfill these challenges.
He called upon young technologists to be job creators instead of looking for job opportunities, adding that through start-ups and entrepreneurships they can create enterprises, which will create wealth for the nation, society and people. He called upon the MRSPTU to take a lead in creating an eco-system for entrepreneurship and innovation amongst its constituent colleges and hoped that setting up of innovation and incubation centres in on its radar.