President Mukherjee urges universities to be technologically equipped to propagate knowledge

Emphasising on the importance of management of knowledge, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said that universities must create an eco-system with adequate hardware and software where 'inspired teachers' can be effectively used to propagate knowledge.

Addressing students and faculty of Institutes of Higher Learning from Rashtrapati Bhavan using the National Knowledge Network, President Mukherjee further said that entrepreneurship should be cultivated among students at an early age.

"It is easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of information around us. But when information is networked, its power and utility increases. In today's world, management of knowledge is beyond the capacity of an individual. Students must learn how to manage knowledge collectively. Another skill essential for the younger generation is to learn how to use the latest technologies for aiding their learning process," the President said.

"Universities must create an eco-system with adequate hardware and software where 'inspired teachers' can be effectively used to propagate knowledge. Entrepreneurship is another quality which must be cultivated in our students from an early age. They must learn how to take calculated risks for the sake of greater achievements within the parameters of ethical business practices," he added.

The President further said that to take India's fascinating and vibrant democracy to greater heights, the country needs highly educated and skilled young men and women.

The President also said that he was speaking to the students in the shadow of an irreparable loss that we have suffered in the passing away of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

He also stated that his two illustrious predecessors, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - a philosopher teacher and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam - a scientist teacher have greatly influenced his thinking on the education sector.