President stresses need to enhance quality of education

The quality of education in colleges and schools needs to be raised to increase local enrolment, President Pranab Mukherjee said here today.
Inaugurating the Murshidabad campus of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), he said the people can be empowered only through education.
"We shall have to enhance local recruitment without compromising standard of education. The only way by which we can achieve this is to improve quality of education in degree colleges, high schools and primary schools," Mukherjee said.
The AMU centres at Murshidabad and Mallapuram in Kerala were started in 2010 and the centre at Kishanganj in 2012 to carry forward the glorious legacy of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, an icon of India's modern education and the university's founder.

Mukherjee, who had earlier visited the campus in December last year, said the Murshidabad centre has fulfilled the long cherished educational aspirations of the people of this area.
He also suggested the need for providing vocational training to students in colleges.

The AMU was established in 1875 as the Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College. Originally affiliated with the Calcutta University, the college was transferred in 1885 to the Allahabad University. Subsequently in 1920, it was elevated to a university through an Act.
First Prime Minister of Pakistan Liyaqat Ali Khan and many others renowned people have been alumnus of AMU, Mukherjee said asking the students to strive hard to succeed in professional life.

West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan and the President's son Abhijit Mukherjee, Lok Sabha MP from Jangipur, were also present during the ceremony.
The President, who is on a day-long visit to West Bengal, has earlier laid the foundation stone of Berhampore Military Station in Nabagram, about 200 kms from Kolkata.
He also graced the foundation stone laying ceremony of KKM Memorial Sports Academy and Wellness Centre at Dhamua and attended renaming function of 'Sagardighi Mahavidyalaya' as 'Sagardighi Kamada Kinkar Smriti Mahavidyalaya' at Sagardighi.
Both the wellness centre and the college are named after the President's late father Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee (KKM).

He felicitated a number of former sportspersons including Saraswati Saha (athlete) and Dola Banerjee (archer).
The President also gave life time achievement awards to former sportsmen - P K Banerjee (football), Gurbaksh Singh (hockey) and Akhtar Ali (tennis).