FORMER GOVERNOR of Mizoram and a well-known name in education sector Dr A R Kohli on Tuesday said that universities should not look towards governments and become financially and otherwise self-dependent. He also said that they should actually become the conduit of accumulating best global knowledge and propagating it amongst knowledge seekers.
Dr Kohli was delivering a lecture on `Challenges for higher education in 21st century’ at the Gyan Vigyan Bhavan of the Barkatullah University on Tuesday. Dr Kohli, an IIM, Kolkata, alumni said that when he met President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam after his (Kohli’s) tenure as governor was over, the president urged him to move across India and spread the awareness for progress of country through higher education. Dr Kohli’s visit to Bhopal is in this context.
He stressed on true autonomy for the universities saying that the universities with their huge infrastructure should be able to take decisions for the welfare of students without having have to depend on any other agency including government.
In his interesting talk, punctuated by several examples and statistics, the former governor harped on collective efforts in all sectors to ensure progress.
He said that this is not the era to decide to be either the proverbial tortoise or the hare, but the youth must adopt the attitude of each of them depending on the circumstances. He also said that `c’s’ play an important role in life and attributes like confidence, courage, capacity, capability, creativity, coordination, culture, communication, character, correlation are very important.
{{/usCountry}}He said that this is not the era to decide to be either the proverbial tortoise or the hare, but the youth must adopt the attitude of each of them depending on the circumstances. He also said that `c’s’ play an important role in life and attributes like confidence, courage, capacity, capability, creativity, coordination, culture, communication, character, correlation are very important.
{{/usCountry}}He further said that in India only one percent people are those who have the capacity and grit to face any challenge in the world, other 40 per cent are those who manage to pull on in life with some help here and there and as many as 59 per cent are those whose development rate is only two per cent and it is these people who should be brought to the forefront through concerted efforts.
Universities and teachers can play big role in this respect he said. Vice-chancellor Prof R S Sirohi delivered the welcome address, highlighting the present situation of teaching community while registrar Dr Sanjay Tiwari proposed vote of thanks.