President Murmu to meet benefactors of education sector tomorrow

All invitees are successful entrepreneurs but the interaction is aimed to highlight their role as benefactors to their alma mater or in the field of education

When President Droupadi Murmu meets HCL Technologies chairperson Roshni Nadar, IndiGo co-founder Rakesh Gangwal, Piramal Group chairperson Ajay Piramal and eight other entrepreneurs over high tea at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, it will be a unique occasion to acknowledge their contribution in India’s education sector by the highest constitutional office.

President Droupadi Murmu will meet 11 entrepreneurs at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. (ANI)

All 11 invitees are successful entrepreneurs but the interaction is aimed to highlight their role as benefactors to their alma mater or in the field of education. “All the guests are illustrious alumni and prominent benefactors,” an official said, seeking anonymity.

Their meeting coincides with the President’s annual meeting with vice-chancellors of central universities and heads of scientific educational institutions. The President of India, who is the Visitor of all such bodies, meets the heads of central universities and IITs and IISC, etc., to discuss how to improve the quality of education and related issues.

The Visitor’s conference, starting Monday, will see discussions on the theme of “Education for Sustainable Development: Building a better world”.

“Five different groups will brainstorm on sub-themes such as Contributions to the realization of NEP-2020; Internationalization efforts and G-20; Research contributions and recognitions; Diversity, equality, inclusivity and wellness; Plans and action items for Amrit Kaal. In the concluding session, outcome of deliberations will be presented before the President. President Droupadi Murmu will address the concluding session,” said a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique.

This time, however, Murmu will meet a group of benefactors whose contributions are rarely recognized publicly. “Support to the alma mater or in the field of education is extremely important in the context of India,” the official said. “The President’s decision to meet such benefactors will encourage more people to contribute in the education sector.”

The President will meet them over high tea and have an interaction over education and their contributions before the guests are given a detailed tour of the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate, officials said.

Among those who are invited are Rakesh Gangwal, co-Founder of Indigo Airlines, former CEO of Yum China Muktesh Pant, co-founder of Mindtree (now part of the LTI) Subroto Bagchi and Prashanth Prakash of Accel.

KPOINT Technologies chairman Shridhar Shukla, co-founder and CEO of Citius Technologies Rizwan Koita, founder and managing partner of IvyCap Ventures Advisors Vikram Gupta and TTK Prestige’s chairman T T Jagannathan have also been invited.

Nemish Shah, co-founder of ENAM, board of governor of FLAME University, and Roshni Nadar, chairperson of HCL Technologies and trustee of Shiv Nadar University, and Ajay Piramal, chairman of the Piramal Group, will be present in the meeting.