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Education a great equaliser, decimates inequities: Vice Prez
Noida Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday described Education as 'a great equaliser' that decimates 'inequities' while giving 'life to democracy', as he said that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has transformed India's educational landscape. Hosted by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the two-day event is being held on the theme 'Envisioning Future Higher Education: The Pivotal Role of India', and marks 100 years of AIU's establishment. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)
Dhankhar was speaking as he inaugurated the 'National Conference of Vice Chancellors' at Amity University, Noida.
Hosted by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the two-day event is being held on the theme 'Envisioning Future Higher Education: The Pivotal Role of India', and marks 100 years of AIU's establishment.
'The NEP has really changed the landscape of our education. I was associated with it as Governor of West Bengal. Some major inputs, in the hands of thousands, were taken into consideration for the evolution of this policy, which resonates with our civilizational spirit, essence, and ethos,' said the vice president, addressing over 500 vice chancellors and senior education leaders from across India at the venue.
Appreciating the Uttar Pradesh government's initiatives, he said, 'Giving IT (information technology) 'industry status' has a huge consequence for positive development…'
He said transparency and accountability in school education is becoming 'a hallmark.'
Calling the universities as 'crucibles of innovation', the vice-president said: 'There must be space for disagreement, debate, dialogue and discussion. That is how mind cells are activated. 'Abhivyakti', 'Vaad Vivaad', and 'Anant Vaad' are inalienable facets of our civilisation'. he said,
Dhankhar also underlined the need for India to move on from being a passive recipient of Western knowledge, as he said: 'We cannot remain perpetual students of Western innovation… It is time India we must build world-class institutions, not just to teach, but to pioneer.'
Call for excellence in emerging domains
The vice president also stressed on the need to build institutions that can lead in frontier areas of knowledge and innovation.
'Establish institutions of uncompromising excellence in emerging domains such as artificial intelligence, climate change, climate technology, quantum science, and digital ethics. When Bharat leads, others will follow. Education is not merely for public good; it is our most strategic national asset,' he said.
Dhankhar, meanwhile, also paid tribute to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his martyrdom day, recalling his call for 'Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishaan, Ek Pradhan' during the Jammu and Kashmir campaign of 1952.
The vice president described the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A as a long-overdue correction, attributing it to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
He also planted a sapling under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative.
Meanwhile, Prof Vinay Kumar Pathak, president of AIU, on the occasion highlighted the exponential growth in India's education sector, including doubling of the education budget since 2014 and the rise in patent filings.
'The education budget has more than doubled since 2014, rising from ₹ 68,700 crore to close to ₹ 1.48 lakh crore. With 23 IITs and 20 IIMs, and around 1,200 universities, India has seen 60% growth in a decade. Patent applications have doubled, and we are emerging as a research and innovation hub,' said Prof Pathak.
The two-day conference features 2 plenary sessions and 10 parallel tracks on themes like artificial intelligence (AI) in education, cybersecurity, experiential learning, and sustainability. A University Action Plan based on recommendations from the conference will be sent to state governors and apex education bodies such as UGC, AICTE, and NCTE.
UP Governor visits AKTU
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh governor and chancellor of state universities, Anandiben Patel, on Monday visited Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) in Sector 62, Noida.
She held a detailed meeting with university and institute officials to review academic, administrative, and innovation-related activities.
'Students must be guided and given the right opportunities to become active contributors to India's growth. Technical institutions must prioritise innovation, quality, and research to stay ahead of future challenges,' the Governor was quoted as saying during her interaction with students and faculty on the occasion.
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