By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday urged the universities to assume greater responsibility for mitigation of problems concerning the society at large.
“The government has taken important initiatives recently aimed at financial inclusion, creation of model villages, Clean India and digital infrastructure. Universities have to be active participants in these programmes and undertake outreach activities for their successful implementation,” the President said while speaking at the annual convocation at the Jamia Millia Islamia here.
Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Human Resources Development was also the present on the occasion as the Guest of Honour.
The President said, “Education is a potent vehicle for social emancipation and economic rejuvenation. Economic growth in the future will depend more on efficient use of resources and deployment of better technology and processes. Knowledge and education will propel economies even more in the years to come. It is therefore important that our education sector, particularly higher education, is able to meet this challenge.”
Speaking about the history of the University, which was born in the wake of the Non-Cooperation movement in 1920, the President went on to call Jamia as “one of the premiere Centres of Learning in the country”.
“Since its inception Jamia has fostered understanding of India’s rich history and culture, including the cultural tradition of Islam. Through its academic programmes, it has instilled in students a national perspective,” he further said.
HRD Minister Smiriti Irani congratulated the graduating students and especially urged the engineering students to “take some time out to build the glorious nation of ours.” She also prayed and wished that graduating journalism students will use the might of their pen to expose the problems of the country and attempt to seek solutions.
Irani hoped that the Fine Arts student would work to bring the legacy of India’s glorious heritage and appealed the graduation students to teach “not just for the income but for outcome.”
Irani reminded the students of the glorious history of Jamia, whose foundation stone was laid by the Father of the nation, who propagated the “new teaching method.” “I am absolutely confident that in you the Jamia legacy will prosper forever. May you bring more glories to the history of Jamia.”
In the 2014 annual convocation, a total of 4503 degrees/diplomas were awarded to students who have successfully completed Ph.D., M.Phil, Post-graduation, Graduation and diploma courses from different faculties/departments/Centres of the University in the academic session 2012-13. The university also handed out 162 Gold Medals to the toppers of different courses. In all 223 Ph.D. degrees were awarded to research scholars.
Lt Gen (Retd) Mohammad Ahmed Zaki, chancellor of the University presided over the convocation while Prof Talat Ahmad, vice chancellor highlighted the achievements of the past year and also the plans for the future in his report.
The HRD Minister later also inaugurated the new building of Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Science on the campus after the convocation. Earlier the convocation began in the traditional way with the recitation from holy Quran, followed by University tarana ‘Dayaar e Shauk Mera’ and ended with the national anthem.