Shortage of research professionals, cause of concern: Montek

Mumbai, Jan 14: Shortage of research professionals especially in the field of science and engineering is a cause of concern and improving the quality of higher education in India was the need of the hour, Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia today said.

Speaking as the Chief Guest at the Annual Convocation of Mumbai University, Dr Ahluwalia said access to higher education was limited as only ten per cent got university education. Expansion of quantity was not enough, quality should also increase, he added.

Chairman of the Knowledge Commission Sam Pitroda has recently submitted a report on higher education and the Planning Commission was examining the recommendations. The process to move the system towards expanding the scale of higher education would begin soon.

He called for universities to be autonomous and de-politicised.

According to him, reliance should be more on fees rather than funding of the universities, he added. Dr Ahluwalia said a reasonable structure of fees was required along with that of scholarships. ''Universities should accept globalising challenges to emerge as centres of excellence,''he felt.

Dr Ahluwalia said rectifying weaknesses in Agriculture sector, strengthening of infrastructure, social sector and creating more access to higher education were the priority areas to ensure the GDP reached 10 per cent in the next five years. He said India is looking for rapid and inclusive growth which can sustain for decades to come and the Centre had already embarked on making durable policy changes.

Speaking on improving the weaknesses in Agriculture sector in rural areas, Dr Ahluwalia said the Planning Commission was in the process of preparing a strategy with the Agriculture Ministry to ensure four per cent growth rate in agriculture sector from the present two per cent. Specific initiatives to increase productivity in agriculture were also being worked out.

He also called for combination of public investment and private partnership for development of roads, ports and generation and transmission of electricity. Similarly, he said such partnership was required to strengthen the social sector as well.

Dr Ahluwalia said India's economy had grown by leaps and bounds since the time students of his generation had graduated.

''India is entering a new and exciting phase of development. When I graduated, our GDP was 3.5 per cent, which was lower than East Asia and Latin American countries and we were aspiring for five per cent growth. While today, our GDP has been consistent at six per cent for two decades and eight per cent for the last four years.

''We are the second fasting growing market after China. It has been agreed to accelerate the pace of growth from eight per cent to ten per cent at the end of the next five years. We will achieve the target, giving sufficient realisation to all income levels that they are benefitting by the progress,'' he added.

UNI