Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's speech at the Convocation of Panjab University

Distinguished Ladies & Gentlemen,

Forgive me for being a bit emotional as I see before me a number of distinguished personalities with whom I have been associated for a very long time.

It is always a pleasure to visit one's alma-mater and I am delighted to be here with you today. As all of you know, I am deeply indebted to this great university for whatever I have achieved. I spent some of the best years of my life here. I have no hesitation in saying that the education I received in Panjab University has played a major part in whatever I have achieved in life. It is, therefore, with great humility that I have received today's recognition. It is an honor that I will always cherish.

Panjab University has a long tradition of pursuing excellence in teaching and research in science and technology, humanities, social sciences, performing arts and sports. I recall with gratitude the great contribution that was made by Dewan Nand Kumar and Dr. A C Joshi in building up this great Institution. For more than a century, it has served society with great distinction. The rich legacy of this University's 127 years of existence continues to be a source of guidance and inspiration for the present generation of faculty and students. Today, I am very happy to know from the Vice-Chancellor's account that Panjab University is one of the most respected institutions in the country. It can legitimately boast of many accomplished and famous alumni including former Prime Minister Shri Inder Kumar Gujral, Nobel laureate Prof. Har Gobind Khorana, Astronaut Kalpana Chawla and Cricketer Kapil Dev. I truly feel proud to have been associated with this great institution, both as a student and later as a faculty member.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

The importance of education in a modern society cannot be over-emphasized. It is not only good in itself but also a potent and powerful tool for empowering people to lead a life of dignity and self-respect. It is also essential for achieving sustained high economic growth. We live in an age where human knowledge is increasing exponentially and countries have to make an effort to remain on the frontiers of knowledge and be counted amongst the advanced nations. Therefore, in the last five years or so the Central Government has made unprecedented efforts for expanding and improving educational facilities at all levels. In fact, I often refer to the Eleventh Five Year Plan as an Education Plan.

In the last three to four years we have added five more IITs. Similarly, a large number of IIMs have been planned which are going to come up in coming two years.

But I do recognize we have a mammoth task ahead in pursuing our goal of providing access to good education to every citizen of our country. This is true of higher education also. At present, in any year, only about 12% of the students who complete secondary education enroll for higher education. This does not at all compare well with the figure of about 70% in some developed countries. It is also much lower than the figure of about 20% in some South East Asian countries. If India has to march ahead, we must increase this proportion. This is the mandate I gave to the Chairman of UGC on his appointment five years old. We must also address the existing imbalances in our higher education system. Today, nearly half of the institutions of higher learning exist in only five states of our Union, nearly 70% of the total intake capacity for professional courses exists in another five states, there is a large gender gap in enrolments for higher education and there are large intra-State imbalances as well. We must address these deficiencies and do so without any further loss of time.

But this alone would not suffice. A major problem that we face is in the quality of higher education that our institutions impart. Unfortunately, most of them produce pass-outs who are nowhere near international standards. Even if we meet our targets of higher access and enrolment, even if we spend huge amounts on higher education and even if we open a large number of new institutions, this issue of quality will not get addressed by itself. In fact, one dimension of the quality deficit is the difficulty being faced in recruiting top class faculty for the new IIMs, IITs, Central Universities and other such institutions that the Government has decided to establish in the last five years.

Addressing all these problems requires structural reforms in our higher education system to which our government is fully committed. The reports of the National Knowledge Commission, and the "Committee to Advise on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education" under the chairmanship of Prof. Yashpal, provide the basis for a series of reforms that we intend to undertake in the coming months. This will be in addition to the steps that have already been taken, including the introduction of the semester system, choice based credit system, merit based admission procedures and continuous internal evaluations. Accreditation has been made compulsory for institutions to get UGC assistance. A review of the Deemed Universities has been initiated in the wake of concerns that some of them may be lagging behind in academic standards.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I made a mention earlier of the problem of getting competent faculty in adequate numbers in our new institutions of higher learning. To address this issue, the Central Government has announced a very progressive pay package for attracting and retaining talented faculty. The University Grants Commission has raised the entry level standards for fresh faculty members and has also started new training programmes for them. The VC was telling me that the University is finding it difficult to pay salaries as per UGC norms. I will look into it and would not like Panjab University to lose faculty for want of competitive salaries.

But I also realize that we may need to do more in this area. Let me assure you today that the government will continue to look for ways and means of ensuring that the faculty in our institutions of higher learning is of a very high quality. They will continue to have adequate facilities to discharge their responsibilities in a creditable manner.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I have just had the opportunity of laying the foundation stone for a new multi-purpose auditorium - cum - examination centre in your campus. I am told that this is part of a series of steps that Panjab University is taking to improve its infrastructure and upgrade its capabilities. I have also been informed that the grant of Rs. 50 crore announced in this year's Central Budget speech will be utilized for renovation of buildings, expansion of library facilities, and for two Centres of Excellence in Science & Technology and Social Sciences respectively. Promotion of interdisciplinary teaching, research training and consultancy, including setting up of four new inter-disciplinary centres, is another new initiative that the University has taken and for which I complement the VC. I am happy with this record of progress and I am confident of the bright future of this great institution, which already has the status of a "University with Potential for Excellence in Bio Medical Sciences". I compliment the Vice Chancellor, faculty, staff and students of Panjab University for their contribution in enabling this great institution to maintain its position of eminence in our country.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To the students who are present here today I would say that you should consider yourself privileged to be studying in one of the best universities in our country. I hope you will make the most of this unique opportunity. I wish you all success in your academic careers and also in your professional life to follow. I also hope that you will turn out to be good citizens, repaying atleast in part to society and to your country what they have invested in you.

Let me end by once again telling you how happy I have felt today to visit my alma-mater. I hope I will have more such opportunities in the future. Let me also wish the Panjab University and all of you all the very best for the future. May God be with you.