By IANS,
Kolkata : Observing that education must not be used as a means to earn livelihood, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Friday urged students to use learning as a tool for social empowerment.
“Sadly today, education is seen only as a means and precursor to achieve the ability to earn livelihood. Education is the strongest means of social empowerment and it should be used to drive out the inequalities prevalent in the society,” said Meira Kumar addressing Calcutta University students.
Meira Kumar, who inaugurated the Babu Jagjivan Ram Chair in honour of her late father, a freedom fighter and social reformer who had a long stint as a central minister, hoped the new professorship would imbibe in students the ability to use education to further the development of the society and the country.
Speaking on the occasion, University Grants Commission chairman Ved Prakash said he will work to ensure the Babu Jagjivan Ram Chair is turned into a social empowerment centre in the future.
“I sincerely hope the latest professorship is able to achieve the objectives which are expected from it and in due course of time, the commission will work to ensure that it is turned into a centre for excellence and a potent tool for social empowerment,” said Ved Prakash.