Odisha guv bats for sustained focus on quality by varsities

Odisha governor SC Jamir today asked universities in the state for maintaining a sustained focus on quality, relevance and excellence to attain global standards in academics and research.
Jamir, who is also Chancellor of state run universities, said this after the inaugural session of a conference of Vice-Chancellors in Raj Bhavan here today.
He said the need of the hour is to nurture inter-disciplinary education, engage in cutting edge research and foster creativity and innovation.
He asked universities to make every effort for both students and teachers to acquire multi-tasking skills in order to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems.

The twenty first century bestows upon the universities a great responsibility to provide to the nation inspired and ignited minds of graduates and post graduates and scholars of eminence to fuel unprecedented growth and development and advance the frontiers of knowledge and shrink the boundaries of ignorance. They must strive to nurture creativity and innovativeness in abundance to manifest the fullest human potential. he said.
Terming universities as the repositories of wisdom of enlightened and inspired minds, the governor urged upon making higher education a foundation to a developed, prosperous and enlightened human society.

He asked the universities to create an environment for performing better in teaching, research and outreach and explore means of larger collaboration with industries.

The conference deliberated at length on various items such as timely conduct of examination, publication of results and distribution of certificates, creation of teaching/non- teaching posts in universities and filling up of existing posts.
Higher Education Minister Anant Das, Finance Minister Shasi Bhusan Behera, Agriculture and Famers Empowerment Minister Pradeep Maharathy, Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda participated in the discussion and were unanimous in strengthening higher education in the state and making university a vehicle of transformation.
All vice-chancellors presented their views and suggestions on different agenda items.