India must emerge as higher studies destination: President

India must emerge as a higher education destination and it should have at least five Central Higher Educational Institutions (CHEIs) in the world's top 200, President Pranab Mukherjee said.

"India must emerge as a higher education destination. I am confident that CHEIs will now open their wings to scale new heights and they will rank among the top educational institutions of the world," Mukherjee said at the conclusion of the first ever three-day Visitor's Conference on Friday.

According to an official statement released on Saturday, Mukherjee said there needs to be a segregation of initiatives which do not require any funds and are within the control of the institutions from the ones which need additional funding.

"Some of these are regular up-dation and revision of the curriculum, improving the quality of teaching by adopting new methods, imparting education that will build the character and value system of the students, better maintenance and utilization of the existing infrastructure," said the president.

He said that while he did see intensification of the involvement of alumni in the governance structure of the CHEIs, there is still a need to widen the area of interaction through sponsored research, endowment, setting up of chairs, donations and in catalysing faculty recruitment.

He urged the HRD ministry to quickly act to set up a pro-active single window to help CHEIs to conclude agreements in line with existing administrative and legal systems.

"Innovator, entrepreneur and financier are the three crucial players of an innovation eco-system. In the context of 'Start-up India, Stand-up India', entrepreneurship acquires a new dimension," he said.

Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Zubin Irani and Hansraj Gangaram Ahir were among those present at the event.