SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL, AT THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION FUNCTION OF THE MADHAV INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, GWALIOR

Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 30th June 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here at the Golden Jubilee Celebration function of the Madhav Institute of Technology and Science. I congratulate the Management, the Principal and the faculty members on this occasion and would like to convey to them my good wishes for their future success.

I am also happy to be visiting Gwalior a city of forts, temples and palaces, whose fabric has been enriched through the ages by poets, artists, saints and musicians. It represents the rich heritage of the past and holds promise for the future as a centre of tourism, manufacturing and education.

The idea of an engineering college at Gwalior was conceived, as early as 1925 by Shrimant Madhav Rao Scindia-I but due to his demise the same year he could not set it up. The institution was established 32 years later, in 1957 by his son Shrimant Jiwajirao Scindia, with the prime objective of providing technical education and producing trained manpower for the progress of the state and the nation. I understand that the foundation stone of the building of the institute was laid by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India and it was inaugurated by Dr. Radhakrishnan, the second President of India.

I am glad to note that the Institute which started with an intake of 120 students has steadily grown and now has a strength of 2500 students. In keeping with changing times and recognizing the need to incorporate new technologies in its curriculum, courses like computer application, electronics, microwave engineering, bio-technology and urban management have been introduced at different intervals. Today, Madhav Institute of Technology and Science is one of the premier institutes of the country imparting quality education in various undergraduate and postgraduate courses in engineering. Its alumni are serving in various capacities in Government, private organizations as well as in national and international corporate houses. If the success of an institute is measured in terms of the achievements of its students, you have won laurels.

India has had an ancient tradition of building and constructing. Its engineering competence developed through the millennia, manifested itself in splendid monuments throughout the country. Not very far from this place stands one such architectural splendour - Khajuraho. Several ancient monuments and sites like Ajanta, Ellora, the Sun temple of Konark, the iron pillar at Mehrauli among many others, are witness to India's rich culture and heritage as also the talents of its ancient engineers and architects.

After Independence, a process of nation building commenced in India consisting of the construction of schools, colleges, roads, irrigation facilities, agriculture and industrial infrastructure. We also worked to create an educated and well-informed people within a democratic framework. We have progressed in several fields but yet much work needs to be done. The future awaits us and we must prepare ourselves for it. In this regard two issues are important - first, India's requirement in the field of engineering and how our institutions can respond to the challenges; and second how students can prepare themselves for the future.

In the era of globalization, cutting edge technology holds the key. India occupies a prime position in the global knowledge economy. It is an IT leader and a country where significant outsourced work is undertaken. We must strive to maintain our leadership in this field. Apart from this, we hope to make India a major manufacturing hub of the world. In addition, India is committed to building and improving its infrastructure facilities and to bringing health, education and connectivity across the country. All these require a large corps of well trained engineers and technologists. India has about 3,500 engineering colleges with over 4.5 lakh engineers graduating every year. But this falls short of our requirement. We need about 70,000 additional civil engineers on an annual basis. This calls for the augmentation of our institutional infrastructure to cater to the growing demand for engineers in a manner that takes into account the long term perspectives of national growth.

Another aspect that requires attention is our low employability ratio. According to a recent study not more than 39 percent engineering graduates are employable, which means that many of the engineering graduates face difficulty in finding employment and many industries do not get skilled human resource required for jobs. Clearly, there is a mismatch between the skills that our graduates possess and talents that are needed in the country. This gap needs to be bridged. It is very important for educational institutions to constantly upgrade their training methodologies and curriculum. Interaction between the growing industry, business and academic institutions would be useful in framing a syllabus that is contemporary and relevant.

We must impart quality education and make our institutions world class. Collaboration with other universities within the country and outside and creation of networks for "knowledge sharing" are taking place but the whole range of possibilities has not yet been explored. Inter-change of ideas enriches us. Institutions like, the Madhav Institute of Technology and Science, with its alumni working in various national and international organizations, could look at creating a "network of old alumni". They could interact with students and the management to apprise them of their experience and give their views on how students could prepare themselves to face the real world. Summer training and internship with firms, businesses and industries will give the students an exposure and opportunities for the practical application of their studies. Many institutions already have this system and I would encourage that other institutions also do the same. This would be an important step in preparing students for the future, which I mentioned earlier was the second issue of importance.

I believe that students should make it a point to go to villages. A village module in the curriculum that enables students go and spend time in understanding about the needs of the rural areas is very necessary. This would have two advantages. First, the students would understand the requirements at the rural areas and secondly, this would motivate them towards a much needed social consciousness. Students of engineering must understand that their profession is also very important in bridging rural areas with the rest of the country. Their work in the villages would help in inclusive growth.

I would like to emphasize the importance of extra-curricular activities, particularly sports for students, for maintaining their physical fitness and fostering in them a sense of discipline. Sports encourage a team spirit and sportsmanship like qualities that enable the youth to face the success and failures of life with equanimity. Similarly, cultural activities help youth to appreciate the richness and diversity of our culture, and imbibe our age-old values of truth, tolerance and respect for all.

As students complete their studies, they are faced with many dilemmas particularly the kind of job they should take up, in which sector or region. Career counselling at this stage helps students to take informed decisions. I would encourage our academic institutions to establish counselling support. Teachers can be involved as they know the aptitude and preferences of their students. I would be amiss if I do not mention the role of teachers in promoting values and shaping their attitudes and encouraging them to undertake service to the nation and the society. Students must not only be empowered with education that will equip them to earn their livelihood but should make them responsible patriotic citizens and caring individuals.

In conclusion, I would call on all of you here to work together for creating a society that is equitable, progressive and the one which promotes excellence in human endeavour. In this connection, I recall the Upanishad which tells us

This means

"Let there not be neglect of truth, of duty, of dharma

of prudent management or of prosperity

Let there not be neglect of study and teaching"

I wish you all the very best.

Thank you

Jai Hind.

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