Pranab Mukherjee stressed the imperative need for universities to lay more stress on research and innovation to help industrial growth in the country.
Expressing concern that Indian universities were lagging far behind in basic research and innovation, President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday stressed the imperative need for universities to lay more stress on those areas to help the industrial growth in the country.
The President was speaking at the inauguration of the centenary celebrations of Osmania University on the campus premises. Governor E S L Narasimhan, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya, TRS MP K Keshava Rao and Hyderabad Mayor Bonthu Rammohan were present at the grand function attended by over 20,000 invitees.
The President said that Osmania University was established 100 years ago by then VII Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan with a vision, and had today earned a name for itself for its academic excellence all over the world.
Congratulating the university for achieving the landmark of 100 years, he expressed hope that it would achieve many more milestones in the future. He said the university witnessed momentous changes in these 100 years, including the two world wars, the country's independence and statehood for Telangana.
Saying that state funding of the higher institutes of learning was possible only to a limited extent, he called upon industry to come forward.
Earlier, the President lighted a lamp to mark the inauguration of the year-long centenary celebrations. He also switched on the centenary pylon. Governor Narasimhan released the centenary souvenir brought out in three languages. Vice-Chancellor S Ramachandram welcoming the guests, and said that today 20,000 students studied in various courses in the university, of whom nearly 5,000 were foreign students from 87 countries pursuing their higher studies. He said that the university had over one crore alumni, and that many of them were contributing to the well-being of society.
The police made elaborate security arrangements to foil any attempt by disgruntled student groups to disrupt the celebrations.
The event however was marked by what did not happen more than by what happened - CM KCR, Governor E S L Narasimhan, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari and MP K Keshava Rao didn't speak. There were intelligence reports that the students, upset over KCR reneging on his promises to them, especially on employment, would resort to sloganeering against the CM if he spoke, and even throw chappals at him, resulting in KCR deciding to stay quiet.