Higher education should be premised on quality education : VP

Kolkata, Jan 18 (UNI) Vice-President Md Hamid Ansari today said good higher education must be premised on quality, universal, school education.

Addressing the valedictory and the first convocation of St Xavier's College here, Md Ansari was dismissive of utilitarian education and was critical of universities "where nothing is studied for its own sake, but only as it will be useful in making a practical man".

He said, " Notwithstanding an element of truth in it, bland advocacy of such an approach today would be socially irresponsible. " The Vice-President said, " The way we work and the way we live both necessitate a change in the way we educate ourselves. The advancing tide of globalisation means that the quality of knowledge generated within higher education institutions and its availability to the wider economy is becoming increasingly critical to national competitiveness. " Md Ansari also said, " Education therefore has to respond to the imperative of a qualitatively new situation. We must deal also deal with the phenomenon of globalisation and its impact on higher education. " He said, " The challenge is to be met at all levels : primary and secondary and higher education. It is also to be addressed in institutions of vocational training. Logical sequence and pragmatic necessity both suggest a bottom-up approach. Good higher education must be premised on quality, universal, school education. " Earlier, Md Hamid Ansari visited the Netaji Research Bureau and saw the room, where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was confined by the British Government.

Chairperson of the Bureau Krishna Bose and her son Sougata Bose welcomed the Vice-President.

Md Ansari also paid a visit to the Asiatic Society here.

Yesterday, Md Ansari addressed the closing Ceremony of the Sesqui celebration of the Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) at Shibpur and iterated thatcurriculum and teaching method should take into account the relevance of engineering education for Indian Industry and economy.

UNI XC SJC/src2002