Address at the Signing of 'joint-mou' by the Universities of Calcutta, Madras and Mumbai

"Convergence of Indian Universities"

I welcome the three Universities: University of Madras, University of Mumbai and University of Calcutta coming together and signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). These three universities were the pioneering Universities in the country. By coming together you are setting a new trend of synergy in university education in India. I congratulate you for this unique venture. I was thinking what thoughts I can share with you. I would like to discuss with you about the "Convergence of Indian Universities".

Importance of research and teaching

In recent times, we have seen the emergence of more than 250 universities. Because of such large number the quality of the education imparted in these universities has also become very divergent. This had put the job of the employers and the higher education system into difficulty since the marks obtained by the students across universities could not be correlated with reference to the educational standards. Because of this large number of intermediary examination system had to be evolved in order to homogenize the evaluation systems.

In the midst of such divergent standards of the Universities, it is good to know that the three universities - University of Madras, Mumbai and Calcutta have decided to join hands and converge towards a common goal of creating high quality scientists and professionals in a borderless way. The most important part of it, the university teachers, and the quality of teaching will improve to high standards only if they do the research. I am sure that these three universities will give equal priority to the research and teaching.

Even amongst the areas of research, universities such as the three, which have a long experience in the education arena need to give high priority to the fundamental research in basic sciences and mathematics.

Joint Centre for Knowledge

I will be happy if the three universities study the model of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Italy. Today it is headed by an eminent Indian Scientist - Prof. K. R. Sreenivasan. The ICTP has created an environment in which the reputed scientists including Nobel Laureates and young scientists and teachers from various countries could visit and interact in an ambience of research and teaching.

I suggest these three universities jointly enable, through a variety of schools, conferences and workshops, a set of teachers to come to together and discuss issues pertaining to various branches of science and mathematics. You can organize and run, through the cooperation of a number of interested researchers in other institutions in India and elsewhere, many conferences each year on different aspects of science and mathematics and on topics of contemporary nature. These programs have to be run at a world-class level and broadcast live to universities that show the needed interest. They have to provide the needed background for independent research.

Adding value to education through Entrepreneurship

There has been substantial growth in our higher educational system and we are generating over 3 million graduates every year and over seven million plus two level candidates who are aspiring for employment. However our employment generation system is not in a position to absorb all these youth leading to increase in educated unemployed, year after year. This situation will lead to instability in the social structure. We need higher education backed by employment opportunities. A multi pronged strategy is needed to make education more attractive and simultaneously create employment potential - how do we do that?

Firstly, the educational system should inculcate by adding syllabus of entrepreneurship and prepare the students right from the school and college education to get oriented towards setting up of the enterprises which will provide them creativity, freedom and ability to generate wealth. Apart from entrepreneurship, the youth should have the spirit that "we can do it". Secondly, the banking system should provide venture capital right from every village level to the prospective entrepreneurs for undertaking new enterprises. Banks have to be proactive to support the innovative products for enabling wealth generation by young entrepreneurs. Thirdly, there is a need to identify marketable products and enhancement of purchasing power among the people. This can come through the implementation of mega programmes such as PURA, Interlinking of Rivers, Infrastructural missions, Power missions and Tourism. The universities and schools should become a facilitator for creating this entrepreneurship scheme through the support of the banking system and the marketing system. This will enhance value to the education and create the motivation for the students.

Convergence of Technologies

The technologies are converging together to provide a higher quality of life with the reduced infrastructure setup. The information technology and communication technology have already converged leading to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Information Technology combining with bio-technology has led to bio-informatics. Now, Nano-technology is knocking at our doors. It is the field of the future that will replace microelectronics and many fields with tremendous application potential in the areas of medicine, electronics and material science. When Nano technology and ICT meet, integrated silicon electronics, photonics is born and it can be said that material convergence may happen. With material convergence and biotechnology linked, a new science called Intelligent Bioscience will be born which would lead to a disease free, happy and more intelligent human habitat with longevity and high human capabilities. Convergence of bio-nano-info technologies can lead to the development of nano robots. Nano robots when they are injected on a patient, my expert friends say, it will deliver the treatment exclusively in the diseased area and then the nano-robot gets digested as it is a DNA based product.

Convergence of IT, aerospace and Nano technologies will emerge and revolutionize the aerospace industry. This technological convergence will enable building of cost effective low weight, high payload, and highly reliable aerospace systems which can be used for inter-planetary transportation.

Conclusion

I wish the three universities should foresee such convergence and realize that the future research and development would be in the interface areas between science and engineering. If you do, you will reach the pinnacle of knowledge. I do hope that many other universities follow the trend set by the Madras, Mumbai and Calcutta universities and over a period of time we will see convergence of the universities in a seamless way - to the happiness of the students and the parents of universityindia.in

My best wishes to all the three Universities in their mission of promoting excellence in University Education in the country.

May God bless you.