'Institutions must promote zero tolerance corruption'

Bhubaneswar, Oct 14: Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today urged the educational institutions to promote an environment of ethics-based conduct and value system with zero tolerance for corruption.

The institutions should also have the commitment to human values, secular ethics and scientific outlook and undertake programmes to make a decisive dent on poverty, disease and ignorance while promoting development for welfare of the poor and the deprived.

Addressing the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the University of College of Engineering- Burla, here, Mr Shekhawat said rural development should be accorded highest priority adding that the programmes for research and technology development should be directed to find ways to overcome the problems and accelerate development in the rural areas.

''We need to develop appropriate technologies for value addition to economic activities relevant to tribal, hill and other backward areas and a cost effective technology based solution to improve the connectivity of remote villages for delivery of basic needs'', he said.

Mr Shekhawat said the backward regions of Orissa, specially the KBK regions, need focused interventions not only from the government and the civil society but also from the scientists, engineers and professions to chalk out and implement sustainable strategy of development to lift the region from poverty and deprivation.

He urged the scientists, technologists and professionals to find solutions to wide ranging problems pertaining to poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy and also meet the challenges of the natural disasters like flood, cyclone and earthquake.

Disaster management ought to be an area which required serious consideration from the scientists and technologists and institutions like the University of College of Engineering to help effectively meet the challenges, Mr Shekhawat remarked.

Orissa Governor Rameswar Thakur said Orissa would emerge as one of the most industrialised states in the country once the industries in the pipeline were completed. He said the institution like UCE would play a major role in shaping the state.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged the Centre and the Human resource Development Ministry to depute an expert committee to study the potential of the UCE, Burla, to upgrade it to the IIT status.

Alumini Association of the UCE Bhubaneswar Chapter President S K Mohanty urged the state government to come forward with financial support as the oldest engineering college in the state was in serious financial crisis and unable to pay salary to the teachers.

Among others Industry Minister B B Harchandan, Commerce and Transport Minister Jayanarayan Mishra, Biju Patnaik University of Technology Vice-Chancellor Omkar Mohanty and UCE, Bural Principal K C Singh addressed the alumnis.

UNI