Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday called upon Indian Universities to strive for Academic Excellence and make India ‘Viswaguru’ again.
He was virtually inaugurating the annual meet of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and addressing a national seminar on ‘Realizing Sustainable Goals through Higher Education Institutions.
Referring to India’s glorious past in knowledge generation, application, and dissemination to the world, he said the versatility of our knowledge systems and culture and their enduring significance make them relevant forever.
“The existence of universities like Nalanda, Taxashila, Vikramshila, Vallabhi, and Odantpuri in ancient India bear ample testimony to the fact that India had an age-old tradition of education and learning which had made it Viswaguru at one time”, he said.
Referring to the essence of ancient knowledge systems of India in the form of Vedas and Upanishads, Puranas, and itihasas, among others, the greatness of Indian culture and the traditional lifestyle of Indians has been passed on from generation to generation till today.
“The versatility of our knowledge systems and culture and their enduring significance make them relevant forever. For example, Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, the most popular prayer of Indians in which we pray God to ‘keep all beings happy’ would be an everlasting wish of all individuals and societies”, he added.
Reminding the audience that today, India stands poised on the threshold of a world of historic possibilities and opportunities, he said that it is now one of the emerging superpowers with improved education, development of resources and jobs, better infrastructure, and health care, among others.
He called upon all the Indian universities, including those in the private sector, to strive for academic excellence and make India ‘Viswaguru’ again.
National Education Policy and SDGs
Speaking about the sustainable goals, Janab Naidu said that primary, secondary, and higher education institutions need to consciously adopt practices that lead to the achievement of SDGs.
He said the contribution of educational institutions is of critical importance in achieving SDGs and urged colleges and universities to play a bigger role in this regard.
Observing that the new National Education Policy – 2020 is a farsighted document, the Vice President said that its implementation in letter and spirit will help us to achieve the SDG agenda.
Expressing his “deep-seated wish” to see Indian Universities ranked among the top 10 universities of the world, Shri Naidu urged all universities to set high standards of academic excellence, including research, knowledge-creation, and focus on infrastructure development, while ensuring equitable access to education.
He said colleges and universities can contribute in a number of ways such as research, policy development, and engagement with societies for creating awareness and effective implementation of sustainable development strategies.
Referring to the United Nation’s Agenda–2030 on Sustainable Development comprising 17 SDGs, he said that India was in the 120th position in the 2021 SDG index.
Stressing the need to surmount challenges such as poverty and illiteracy in achieving various SDGs, he called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including civil society and educational institutions.
“We must remember the fact that saving the Planet ought to be a collective effort of all countries. We can ill-afford to lose sight of the relevance of the adage ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ in this context”, he said.
Observing that India’s higher education sector is the third-largest in the world with around 1050 universities, more than 10,000 professional technical institutes, and 42,343 colleges, the Vice President said that if all of them contribute towards the accomplishment of the goals, it will make a major impact on the overall world scenario.