KASARGOD: The National Education Policy (NEP) will rediscover the best of the indigenous educational system while also promoting liberal and professional education, said President Ram Nath Kovind.
He was speaking at the fifth convocation ceremony of the Central University of Kerala at Periya in Kasaragod on Tuesday.
The education policy unveiled by the central government in 2020 has the potential to turn India into a hub of knowledge, he said.
"Mahatma Gandhi compared the indigenous educational system with a beautiful tree that perished under colonialism. NEP 2020 is an effort to rediscover its best aspects so that India contributes to the world that it alone is destined to make," he said.
"I believe that the most outstanding feature of the NEP is that it aims to promote both inclusion and excellence. It promotes liberal as well as professional education," he said.
At the convocation ceremony on Tuesday, 563 students from the 2018-2020 batch received their graduation certificates.
In all, 742 students graduated from the university during the period. Of them, 52 are PhD scholars, 652 are postgraduates and 29 are undergraduates. This convocation day took place amid an extraordinary global crisis triggered by Covid,
he said.
"Your education was affected early last year but technological solutions were put in place in no time and now you have completed your courses. In the process, you must have learnt many lessons beyond your syllabus. You have learnt better ways to respond to difficulties and challenges," said Kovind.
The president handed over gold medals to Anumol C N of School of Physical Sciences, Riya Merin Varghese of School of Economics, and Aishwarya R J of School of Global Studies.
"I am not surprised at all that all the three gold medal winners in today's convocation happen to be our daughters," he said.
He said he was happy to note that the number of female students who graduated was three times more than the number of male students.
"I have been told that our daughters constitute 64% of the total number of students in the university. I have been observing this growing empowerment of daughters through education in other parts of the country also," the President said and added: "I see India of the future will become a knowledge power with
rich contribution from our daughters".
The president wrapped up his speech by wishing all a "Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year".