Prez institutes awards for best university, research

In order to motivate universities to work towards excellence in higher education, President Pranab Mukherjee has instituted Visitor's awards for best university, research and innovations.
"All central universities, of which the President of India is Visitor, will be eligible for the award for the best university," said a notification issued by the President's Secretariat.
All faculty members and students of all the central universities will be eligible for the Visitor's award for innovation as well as Visitor's award for research. Individuals or group of individuals can also apply, it said.
The purpose of the award is to encourage excellence through competition.

"These awards would help promote healthy competition amongst central universities and motivate them to adopt best practises from around the world in the pursuit of excellence," the notification said.
The Visitor's award for the best university will be given on the basis of academic excellence and overall outstanding work by the Central university during the year.

Whereas, the Visitor's award for innovation will be given for unique innovation developed and displayed by individual or group of the Central university. The Visitor's award for research will be given for path-breaking research carried out by individual or group of the central university during the year, it said.

The awards will be given annually.
While the Visitor's award for the best university will carry citation and trophy the award for innovation and research will carry a citation and cash reward of Rs one lakh each, respectively.