Institutions of higher education should develop core competencies

USPA NEWS - President, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee presenting with the students at the 4th Annual Convocation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur, at Raipur, Chhattisgarh on April 17, 2015. Governor, Mr. Balram Das Tandon, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Dr. Raman Singh and other dignitaries are also seen.

The President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee said that institutions of higher education have to promote a culture of excellence and develop core competencies. He attended the 4th Annual Convocation of Indian Institute of Management, at Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that our academic institutes have to be dynamic and hands-on in facing emerging challenges. They have to expand capacity to cater to more students and at the same time uphold the quality of instruction.

They have to resort to technology tools like e-classrooms and knowledge to enable sharing of ideas and intellectual resources like lectures and tutorials. He said that we must also be pro-active in developing a management research culture in the country for which IIMs need to collaborate with best of institutions in the world.

The President said that our academic institutions and industry have to engage with one another and benefit mutually from partnerships in joint research, curriculum development and setting up of chairs, incubation centres and research parks.

The President said that IIMs must assume greater responsibility for overall development and mitigation of problems concerning our society, community and nation at large. The faculty in IIMs should provide consultancy for policy and project implementation challenges that both Union and State Governments face. Graduates from IIMs should take up projects of relevance to the people of the state and try starting companies and corporations which would contribute to the economic development of the area.

The President expressed happiness that IIM Raipur is relentlessly pursuing its objectives of excellence in teaching, learning and human resource development. He stated that he was given to understand that the new state-of-the art campus at Naya Raipur will provide amenities comparable to any world class institute. A concerted and determined effort to renew India, bolstered by ideas and imagination of a premier institution like IIM Raipur can help our nation realize Gandhiji´s dream of a Swachh and Samarth Bharat.

He requested the student community of IIM Raipur to always keep in mind the fact that the wonderful education they have received is a contribution of the nation, state and community. Students, in turn, have an important responsibility, not just to themselves and their families but also to this country and the community as whole. He expressed confidence that the students who have earned their degrees today will take part in nation-building of this country in a meaningful way.