Prez Expresses Concern Over 20 PC Enrolment Rate in Higher Education

Mysore, July 29, 2015: President Pranab Mukherjee today expressed dissatisfaction over the enrolment rate of 20 per cent in higher education, saying it is not enough to improve future prospects of the youth.

Inaugurating centenary celebrations of Mysore University, founded in 1916 under the patronage of 'Rajarshi' Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar with assistance of M Visvesvaraya, Mukherjee said

"Though India's higher education is the second largest in the world, the enrolment rate at 20 per cent is not enough to improve future prospects of the youth and harnessing opportunities in an increasingly knowledge intensive world."

Mukherjee highlighted that many bright scholars go abroad for higher studies for want of good quality institutions in our country.

The President said although government and private sector are making efforts to expand higher education but if an objective analysis of the state of higher education in the country is undertaken today, it is easy to suggest that there are only a handful of higher education institutions possessing the quality to produce graduates for the global market.

"Indian institutions are absent from the top 200 positions in world university rankings published by the reputed agencies," he said.

The President said present day higher education institutions ought to apply dynamic learning models.

"They must deploy technology to efficiently disseminate academic material to greater number of students, engage resource persons through e-platforms, and establish linkages with research and other academic institutions," he said.

Underlining poor scenario of research in universities, the President said there is unfortunately a general neglect of research.

"This must be reversed. Our country grapples with many socio-economic problems and answers to many of them have eluded us so far. We must identify areas that call for innovative solutions and facilitate our universities and institutions to undertake research programmes," he said.

Earlier, the President visited historical Chamundeshwari temple, located on Chamunda Hills, overlooking the Mysore city.

Dressed in traditional dhoti and angavastram, Mukherjee -- devotee of Shakti -- offered prayers.

PTI