Fresh evaluation of college syllabi needed, says ex-ISRO chief

Mumbai, Feb 5 (PTI) Former Chairman of Indian SpaceResearch Organisation Dr G Madhavan Nair today said that therewas an urgent need to "take a re-look" at the college syllabiand the quality of teachers.

"While there is a spurt in the number of colleges acrossthe country, the quality of education imparted is not veryencouraging and therefore, there is an urgent need to take are-look at the syllabus, quality of teaching professionals andthe infrastructure in colleges and universities," Nair said inhis convocation address at the University of Mumbai.

For the first time in the varsity''s history, theconvocation address was reached to the students of 650colleges and 60 University departments through a "webcast".

"A shift from the examination-oriented method of teachingto (one) inculcating inquisitiveness and innovativeness amongthe students is the need of the hour," he said.

Noting that the University of Mumbai had taken up somereforms in the areas of academics, examinations andadministration, Nair said the outcome of the studiesundertaken by the experts'' committees of the varsity couldserve as a useful guide for other institutions.

"Our country is endowed with highly intellectualmanpower. Given the right kind of encouragement and ambiance,our scientists and engineers can master the most criticaltechnologies, and our achievements in atomic energy and spacescience bear an ample testimony (to this)."

Nair also said that India has attracted the attention ofthe world, and is seen as a potential super-power; and ouryoung manpower can become the human resource bank for theentire world. .

Nair also urged the students and the teachers to conduct research in the new fields of science such as nano materialsand gene-therapy which can bring about revolutionary changesin the quality of human life.

Vice-chancellor Rajan Welukar highlighted the reformsundertaken by the University in various fields in his speech.

Gold medals and awards were given away to the successfulstudents at the hands of the Chancellor and the MaharashtraGovernor K Sankaranarayanan on this occasion.