Address by the Hon’ble President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind At the Closing Session of the Meet of Vice-Chancellors and Directors of Central Universities, IISERs and IISC

In the two sessions today, we heard about the best practices from some of the top ranked institutes and universities and also saw the presentations of sub-groups on different issues faced by them. I thank all of you for your concise but very informative presentations. I am happy to note that we have been making progress particularly in holding convocations, updating syllabus and curriculum, filling faculty positions and speeding up infrastructure projects. But there is always more room for improvement and we must strive to do better each year in all these parameters.

Though there have been noteworthy achievements in several areas, however, as we have heard, there are areas in which you are facing challenges. We need to acknowledge those challenges and then address them through a conscious, clear and systematic approach.

In many cases, these challenges cannot be resolved by the universities alone and they need institutional and long term support of the Government. In this regard, I appreciate the presence of the Minister for Human Resource Development and other officers from the Ministry. They are the people who can ensure that the goals of your institutes are aligned with the aspirations and hopes of the people of this country. I am sure the heads of the institutes will seek their guidance as they chart their growth stories. 

However, a lot of possible improvements lie fully within your own grasp. Simple steps like strictly adhering to your Academic Calendar for admissions, conduct of classes, examinations, declaration of results and awarding of degrees at convocations and so on, can be the starting point on the journey towards excellence. Similarly, there are some steps that you can take to address the shortage of faculty in your universities. For instance, you can develop a robust visiting faculty program or use online teaching tools. You must also strengthen your existing faculty through leadership programs such as LEAP, that is now entering its second year.

I do not wish to dwell in detail on the themes on which you made presentations. It is imperative to fill up vacancies and attract top-quality faculty. At the same time, you must ensure adequate gender balance in your institutes, particularly of the faculty. I have been appointing more women as visitor nominees in various committees and I urge all of you to do everything you can to ensure adequate representation. Also, all of you must collaborate with the industry as well as your alumni in creative ways. IIT Delhi has made a presentation on their alumni endowment fund today. You must embrace your alumni and involve them closely in your activities. Your alumni are important stakeholders in your growth and they will always remain your most loyal and dedicated supporters. I hope to hear from more of you when we meet next year on your alumni initiatives. 

Courtesy: pib.gov.in