India can become the hub of knowledge and innovation and universities have to play a leading role in fostering a climate of creativity, inventiveness and enterprise, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said. The universities must not only become the centers of cutting-edge research but must also establish close linkages with the industry, he said.
Observing that the need of the hour was to channelize the energies of the youth in constructive, nation-building activities, he advised the youth to join the forces of growth and shun negativism. Pointing out that the nation was passing through a critical juncture and was facing many challenges, he advised the youth to come up with innovative solutions to tackle the pressing problems from coronavirus to climate change.
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“This is the time for all sections, particularly the youth to be at the forefront of making India stronger on all fronts,” the vice president said. He urged the youth to be the torchbearers in eradicating Illiteracy, combating diseases, meeting challenges in the farm sector, ending social evils and discrimination of any sort like atrocities on women and eliminating corruption to build a New and Resurgent India.
In his first physical public interaction after the announcement of the COVID-19-induced lockdown in March, Naidu expressed happiness that the new education policy proposes a National Research Foundation to oversee research in the country and accords priority to skill-based education by imparting “21st century employability skills”.
Observing that the education sector, like others, also faced unprecedented disruption in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, he said it has brought forth new challenges for both teachers and learners.
