Bhubaneswar: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that education makes the life of students organised and disciplined. Be job creators instead of running after jobs, the Vice President added during his address at 50th convocation of Utkal University here.
“The aim of education is not only cognitive development, but also building character and creating holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st century skills”, said the Vice President.
“My dear students, needless to say that the day of convocation marks an important day in your lives. Yet, this milestone is the beginning of your journey,” he said.
Beginning his address in Odia, the VP said that the great land of Kalinga taught the lesson of peace to Emperor Ashoka and the kings who ruled over this land were instrumental in building cross-cultural links with South East Asia. Noting the glorious maritime traditions of Kalinga, he lauded the daring sea-faring merchants of Kalinga who established trade links with various countries including Sri Lanka, Java, Sumatra, Bali and Burma.
Drawing attention to the regular occurrence of natural disasters like cyclones, floods and droughts in the State, Naidu called for making disaster management an integral part of the education from early days. “This would prepare us better to face any such calamity in future,” he opined.
Naidu said that the convocation marks an important day in their lives but it is just the beginning of their journey. Commending them for getting to this point he asked them to nurture the attributes of passion, perseverance, tenacity, and open mind to learn as it will guide them throughout their lives.
“Many of you will be moving out of the sheltered confines of the university and entering the real world with its own set of challenges, issues and opportunities. The process of transition will not be easy, but I am sure that with the value system and the training that you have been given by the teachers and gained from this university, you will be able to face the world with confidence,” he added.
Emphasising that the New Education Policy focuses primarily on instilling the ability to face the world with confidence in the students, Naidu said that the aim of education is not only curricular development but also building character and creating a holistic and well-rounded individual equipped with the key 21st-century skills.
He asked all to not forget that India had a glorious tradition of international education. The ancient Indian universities – Takshashila, Nalanda, Vallabhi, Vikramshila – had thousand of students from India and other parts of the world, studying in a vibrant multi-disciplinary environment in those days.
“We should bring back this great Indian tradition to create well-rounded and innovative individuals who will have the distinctive ability to transform the country both socially and economically,” he added.
