Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi Stresses More Research-Based Studies

Guwahati, Aug 10: “The universities should strive to become an enabling environment to be an epicentre of creation, transmission and dissemination of knowledge,” said Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi while chairing a day-long meeting held with all the Vice-Chancellors of the State and Central Universities of Assam in the conference hall of Raj Bhavan on Friday.

Addressing the Vice-Chancellors, the Governor said, “A country is as good as the quality of education it imparts to its citizens. In its evolution through many stages, education acts as the pivot around which the progress of a country moves”. He also called upon the vice chancellors (VCs) to take a lead role in creating framework for raising the standard of higher education.

“I take this opportunity to request you all to bring in a paradigm shift in the delivery of not only the means but ends of education by the universities. If the universities take the initiatives and become the role model in creating and executing innovative ideas, they can proudly claim the honour of nurturing pool of human resources responsible for the growth of the country”, the Governor professed.

Stating that the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of Assam, which is now 17/18, as against the country average of 25, he requested the VCs to take significant role to address this mismatches.

He also advocated that to increasing the GER the universities have to be proactively articulated.

Harping on the need of quality education, Prof. Mukhi said that he believed that higher the quality of university education in a state, more prosperous and competitive the people are. Therefore, there should be concerted efforts in revising the curricula in college and university level. So that college and university education can be made more relevant in sync with the requirement of the present day society.

He moreover, asked the VCs to use their knowledge and expertise to help the students’ fraternity to face the challenge of concentrating their research on the rich natural and human resources of the state and create knowledge base that serves humanity. Quality research of contemporary relevance must be carried out by the universities, Prof Mukhi added.

The Governor also said that adequate emphasis should be laid on periodic assessment carried out by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) to ensure quality assurance certificates as a testimony to the adherence of the standards set by the UGC. Every institution of Assam should participate in the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework).

The Governor also requested the VCs that under Social responsibility, every university should adopt at least 5 villages and contribute to the welfare of its people. Further, the universities should also direct the colleges to take up similar kind of activities to adopt at least one village each. He also urged upon the Assam Agricultural University scientists to formulate plans, draw a road map and help the farmers to go for multiple cropping. The VCs should also make regular visits to the colleges under their jurisdiction and oversee their roles and responsibilities, a communiqué said.