Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's address at the Goa University Convocation

"I am delighted to be in Goa once again. I wish the people of Goa a Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year. I am particularly happy to be here this week when thousands of tourists and people on holiday are here from across India and the world. They are here to join you in this festive season, to enjoy the beauty of your State and the warmth of your generous hospitality. Goa is the pride of India. Everyone loves Goa and so do I.

I am also delighted that once again I am here to participate in a function relating to education. My first visit to Goa as Prime Minister was to inaugurate the BITS Campus here. Today I am delighted to be here to participate in the convocation of Goa University. Nothing gives me more joy than to be among teachers and students. As I have often said, teaching was my chosen career. I am a politician only by accident!

That both my visits to Goa have been in connection with educational institutions is in part a recognition of Goa's rising status in our knowledge economy. We are all proud of Goa's record in education and in the educational empowerment of young men and women. Goa ranks among the best performing States in terms of education and other indicators of human development. The literacy rate is over 82% and I am sure you can rapidly march ahead to attain 100% literacy. I would like to see every young person in Goa literate and educated, because your people are your greatest asset.

Goa has already emerged as one of India's most attractive tourist destinations. It should also emerge as one of our leading knowledge-based States. I am confident that with high literacy rates and given the congenial social environment in Goa, you will attain this goal.

Last week the National Development Council approved the 11th Five Year Plan. I am proud to say that our Government has placed education at the centre of this Plan. The 11th Five Year Plan is India's "Education Plan". It places the highest priority on education as an instrument for achieving rapid and inclusive growth. It presents a comprehensive strategy for strengthening the education sector covering all segments of the education pyramid.

It is through universal literacy, access to education and knowledge-based agricultural and industrial development that India must henceforth march ahead to join the front ranks of the great nations of world. As one of the oldest and continuing civilizations, we take pride in our commitment to the advancement of human knowledge. For centuries, great minds in our great land have tried to understand the universe around us, the world around us, and the dynamics of social change and human behaviour. India has contributed to knowledge in a wide variety of fields.

The challenge before us is to ensure that every one of our citizens is empowered by access to education and skill building in their chosen fields o.f activity. I would like to see our farmers, our workers, our artisans and everyone of our working people equipped with modern education and the capabilities required to earn a decent living.

It is this perspective that informs the 11th Plan. We have increased the outlay on education from 7.7% of the total Central GBS in the 10th Plan to over 19% in the 11th Plan. The actual outlays have been raised five-fold. This is an unprecedented increase in allocations for education in the history of our country. As I said from the Red Fort on Independence Day this year, I wish to see a new revolution in modern education in India.

Our Government is committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goal of ensuring that all our children complete primary schooling and that we are able to eliminate gender disparities in education at all levels. Our strategy is to widen access to education and improve the quality of education at all levels of the educational pyramid.

In the case of elementary education, we would like to see universal enrolment in the 6 to 14 age group. I would like to see regional disparities in educational attainment bridged. We must also ensure a sharp reduction in the drop-out rate with a zero drop-out rate at the primary level. The facilities for secondary education need to be expanded so as to ensure all children of secondary school going age are in school. We must increase the proportion going to college and higher education to 20% of the relevant age group. Along with this quantitative growth, we must also focus on quality improvements. Our educationists are concerned about uneven quality and with low average quality. We must set our standards higher and seek to improve on them.

I am aware that massive qualitative expansion of our educational system will put our infrastructure under stress. There will be a shortage of good quality teachers. To address this problem our universities and educational institutions must adopt innovative methods to augment their physical infrastructure and their teaching and research capabilities.

Our universities are in need of a new wave of institutional reform, a reform that will enable them to augment existing talent. There has to be openness to lateral entry into teaching and research staff and a willingness to try new pedagogical methodologies and technologies to access teaching materials and databases.

The Government can at best provide an enabling framework within which our educational institutions can address the challenges they face. I do recognize the need for greater autonomy in the functioning of our institutions of excellence and universities. But along with more autonomy, there should also be greater accountability to society, if not to Government.

Goa is a state of highly talented people. The educational system here should fulfill the aspirations of the people of the state. Our Government is launching the National Skill Development Mission. This mission will enable us to augment and create a diverse and wide range of skills for our youth. The emphasis would be on demand based vocational educational programmes in partnership with employers. Here in Goa, there would be demand for a range of skills associated with maritime business, with tourism business, with the IT industry, with agro-based industries and other dynamic sectors of your economy.

I sincerely hope that the youth of Goa will take advantage of the initiatives we have taken in the field of education and infrastructure development. I am sure there is still great potential for the induction of skills in the tourism sector. Goa must emerge as a knowledge-based economy and the world's most attractive and environment friendly tourist destination.

Our Government will offer whatever support is required to invest in Goa's knowledge sector. Goa is already home to several institutions of national importance. I am aware of Goa's desire for an equitable share of facilities for higher education. The Central Government will bear this in mind while locating new institutions for higher learning as envisaged in the 11th Plan.

I would also like to see Goa emerge as an important center of maritime research and marine business. Our Government has set up the National Fisheries Development Board to unleash a "Blue Revolution" along our coastline and inland water bodies and rivers. We must modernize our fisheries business and infrastructure and empower our fishing communities. Goa has the potential to further develop deep-sea fishing. We need the application of modern science and technology to maritime business.

I do believe that in the past, we have neglected our maritime economy, as well as our maritime security. Our Government has been paying greater attention to both these. We have modernized our ports, improved port efficiency and increased investment in port development. We have increased investment in our Coast Guard and the Indian Navy. We are proud of our Navy. It is one of the best navies in the world and today offers maritime security in the waters around our sub-continent. The Navies of the world are reaching out to engage the Indian Navy and work with us to ensure the security of sea-lanes of communication.

I am sure the Indian Navy will always be viewed as a source of security for all those who traverse the wide oceans around as traders, travelers and tourists.

It is said that people who live along the coast are more adventurous and creative. The receding horizon of an expansive ocean compels them to seek new frontiers. Sea-faring people across the world have set out in pursuit of new lands and new opportunities. Indeed, for hundreds of centuries, Goa has attracted such sea-farers from afar. The time has come for the people of Goa to now set sail and take advantage of the forces of globalization and transform itself into a knowledge-based economy.

It is a sense of adventure, an urge to discover and to explore that has taken mankind forward. You, young students, are beginning a new journey in life. I sincerely hope the sea will inspire you to sail forth. I hope you will reach out to new horizons and take our country to new heights of prosperity and progress.

Thank you once again for this opportunity to be here with you. I wish you all well".