President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday said the academic performance of girls exceeding that of boys across the country was a welcome sign for society.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday said the academic performance of girls exceeding that of boys across the country was a welcome sign for society.
“In my capacity as President, I have made a conscious effort to visit universities and educational institutions across the country to meet and interact with students and future thought leaders of our country. One of my findings has been that the academic performance of girl students tends to exceed that of boys. Today too, of the nine gold medals awarded at this convocation, six have gone to graduating girls. This is commendable and a happy sign for our society,” he said at the 15th convocation ceremony of Symbiosis International (Deemed University) held at the Convocation Ground of SIU’s Lavale Campus in Pune.
The President was the chief guest for the function while the other dignitaries included Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, state Education Minister Vinod Tawde and Guardian Minister Girish Bapat. The function was presided over by Dr S B Mujumdar, Chancellor of SIU.
The university awarded D.Litt. for this year to Sonam Wangchuk, who is the founding director of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), founded in 1988.
Kovind said, “Knowledge has no gender boundaries. Neither does it have geographical boundaries. It is a matter of pride for us that India has been a centre of learning for centuries. From Taxsila to Nalanda, the subcontinent’s age-old universities attracted students from different parts of Asia and beyond. In modern times as well, our campuses have been open to and welcoming of talented young people from many countries, especially those in our neighbourhood and in Africa – a continent with which we have a special relationship, shaped in classrooms.”
“Your education gives you responsibility to help those less-privileged and less-fortunate. How you choose to do this is entirely up to you, but do remember that your empathy for fellow citizens is as much a test of your scholarship as your marksheet or your degree,” he said.
“The founders of Symbiosis have drawn from the traditions of learning and the linkage between education, social change and fraternity that have been part of this city’s history,” the President said. “As I have said on an earlier visit, the story of modern India owes much to the progressive ideas that have flowed from Pune, and for which our nation is truly appreciative.”
He recalled the contribution of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule in starting schools exclusively for girls. “Stalwarts took the lamp of learning far and wide. Many of the educational institutions that were established are still with us. Gopal Krishna Gokhale and the intellectual culture of Pune were a profound influence upon Mahatma Gandhi. The bond between Gandhiji and this city was strong and is worth cherishing as we commemorate the 150th year of his birth,” said Kovind.
“The same leaders were nation builders who fought for political independence from imperial rule and also for an Indian society free of discrimination on the basis of caste, gender or any other marker. For each of them, the spread of education was non-negotiable,” he said.
“The past motivates us, but the future too beckons. What is the benchmark that Symbiosis University and other universities must set for themselves? The breadth of Indian higher education is appreciable. India has a massive network of 903 universities and 39,050 colleges. But the fact is, there are still gaps in quality and in attaining world-class excellence across the spectrum.”
“In my capacity as President, I have made a conscious effort to visit universities and educational institutions across the country to meet and interact with students and future thought leaders of our country. One of my findings has been that the academic performance of girl students tends to exceed that of boys. Today too, of the nine gold medals awarded at this convocation, six have gone to graduating girls. This is commendable and a happy sign for our society,” he said at the 15th convocation ceremony of Symbiosis International (Deemed University) held at the Convocation Ground of SIU’s Lavale Campus in Pune.
The President was the chief guest for the function while the other dignitaries included Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, state Education Minister Vinod Tawde and Guardian Minister Girish Bapat. The function was presided over by Dr S B Mujumdar, Chancellor of SIU.
The university awarded D.Litt. for this year to Sonam Wangchuk, who is the founding director of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), founded in 1988.
Kovind said, “Knowledge has no gender boundaries. Neither does it have geographical boundaries. It is a matter of pride for us that India has been a centre of learning for centuries. From Taxsila to Nalanda, the subcontinent’s age-old universities attracted students from different parts of Asia and beyond. In modern times as well, our campuses have been open to and welcoming of talented young people from many countries, especially those in our neighbourhood and in Africa – a continent with which we have a special relationship, shaped in classrooms.”
“Your education gives you responsibility to help those less-privileged and less-fortunate. How you choose to do this is entirely up to you, but do remember that your empathy for fellow citizens is as much a test of your scholarship as your marksheet or your degree,” he said.
“The founders of Symbiosis have drawn from the traditions of learning and the linkage between education, social change and fraternity that have been part of this city’s history,” the President said. “As I have said on an earlier visit, the story of modern India owes much to the progressive ideas that have flowed from Pune, and for which our nation is truly appreciative.”
He recalled the contribution of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule in starting schools exclusively for girls. “Stalwarts took the lamp of learning far and wide. Many of the educational institutions that were established are still with us. Gopal Krishna Gokhale and the intellectual culture of Pune were a profound influence upon Mahatma Gandhi. The bond between Gandhiji and this city was strong and is worth cherishing as we commemorate the 150th year of his birth,” said Kovind.
“The same leaders were nation builders who fought for political independence from imperial rule and also for an Indian society free of discrimination on the basis of caste, gender or any other marker. For each of them, the spread of education was non-negotiable,” he said.
“The past motivates us, but the future too beckons. What is the benchmark that Symbiosis University and other universities must set for themselves? The breadth of Indian higher education is appreciable. India has a massive network of 903 universities and 39,050 colleges. But the fact is, there are still gaps in quality and in attaining world-class excellence across the spectrum.”