Tanveer-ul-Ahad : Srinagar: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said that he is eager to see the youth of Kashmir taking the lead in building the future of the nation.
“Many important issues need deft handling and speedy resolution,” he said, adding that both the Central and state governments were determined to ensure that people of Kashmir live with dignity having equal rights and equal opportunities.
Reaching out to people who have suffered decades of violence, Mukherjee candidly acknowledged that they have grievances.
Mukherjee made these remarks at the 18th convocation of the Kashmir University during his first visit to the state since assuming office of the President two months ago.
“I am deeply conscious of the great standing of Kashmir as the Sharda Peeth – the ‘Seat of Learning’ – in ancient times. This beautiful valley has nursed in its lap great men of letters, poets and patrons of learning. It has also attracted philosophers and scholars from diverse cultures and foreign civilizations who contributed to its rich heritage. I am sure that students and faculty of the University have a sense of the rich legacy that they have inherited and will derive inspiration and benefit from it.”
“The academic environment in India and, indeed, across the world is more exciting than ever for students of today. The IT revolution has brought infinite opportunities. It has greatly facilitated us in offering a more modern, progressive and relevant education to our students”, Pranab said.
Government of India, in its 12th Five Year Plan has a well defined strategy to achieve this. It includes expansion of infrastructure with regional equity, focus on performance, better human resource management, reform of the curriculum, promotion of quality research and creation of an environment that will attract the best talent. In Jammu and Kashmir, Government has established two Central Universities recently.
I am aware that University of Kashmir is electronically linked with knowledge banks and information offered by reputed Institutions across the world. This needs to be disseminated with optimal efficiency. This is the time to shift towards increasingly interactive and collaborative learning experiences.
New technologies need to be adopted which have useful applications for teaching, learning and professional growth. This will bring a significant improvement in the quality of our teaching and research. Universities must promote creativity and innovation. Creation of a knowledge society requires that Universities encourage autonomous research.
It is equally important to have collaborations and linkages between premier institutions of higher learning in India and abroad for cross fertilization of ideas and advancement of knowledge.
“In every field of activity – be it business, industry, trade, education or culture, India is a nation on the move. A billion people marching forward led by the ideas, enterprise and energy of its predominantly young population,” said President
“I am confident that the young people of India will build a strong and powerful nation – a nation that is politically mature and economically strong, a nation whose people enjoy both a high quality of life as well as justice, fundamental rights and equality,” he added.
President Mukherjee said the India of tomorrow, achieved through inclusive growth, offers enormous opportunities for the youth of Kashmir if they only seize them.
“Do not lose any more time. The whole world is rapidly transforming itself. We in India should not be left behind. The contributions of young Kashmiris are critical for India’s advancement to progress. Let the dark days of violence and conflict be left behind. Let a new dawn emerge,” said President Mukherjee.
“It is the time to move ahead with faith in our collective future and confidence in the largest democracy in the world, where rule of law prevails, robust institutions function and the Constitution serves as the Supreme Law,” he added.
The President said institutions of higher education, with their emphasis on sound value systems and character building can play an effective role in developing a greater sense of responsibility and a rational approach to all issues.
“In this context, the duty of teachers is to inculcate in their students a balance – of knowledge and skills with the moral and aesthetic values,” he added.
President Mukherjee also congratulated the scholars and students of the University of Kashmir on this occasion.
“May you proceed to achieve greater distinctions and higher levels of achievement for yourselves, your proud parents and your society? I look forward to your contribution – each one of you – to the building of our great nation,” he added.
Meanwhile, In reply to a query from media on the offensive video on You Tube during his visit to Srinagar on Thursday, the President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee said “I condemn in the strongest of terms the making of the offensive video and its dissemination through social media. India can never condone any act which disparages religious sentiments or hurts religious feelings. The Ministry of External Affairs is in touch with US officials who share our concerns on the matter. Google India has in compliance with Indian law, blocked access to the offensive material.”