Education minister slams universities (TOI - Engineering Colleges Tamil Nadu)

Higher education minister P Palaniappan criticised educational institutions for their lack of research culture on campus and asked universities and colleges to wake up from their state of mediocrity.

Addressing academics and students at the National Science Day celebrations at the University of Madras on Tuesday, he said, "Government efforts may go futile if educational institutions are lethargic to innovation."

He said that the policy note on higher education proposes to equip laboratories in colleges and universities to match world standards: "But, irrespective of the government's commitment to this cause and allocation of funds, educational institutions and other stakeholders should be able to work out the details for implementation." While private players like Motorola and GE have created world class technology hubs in the country, our own institutions - whether private or public - have been unable to do so, he added.

Quoting chief of the Scientific Advisory Council C N R Rao, Palaniappan said that money is no longer an issue in Indian science. Now professors and researchers are paid decent salaries. What we need is strong research centres, led by scientists of eminence. We must ensure that mediocrity is thoroughly removed from all spheres of life and the youth must have a sense of purpose and pride in working with great minds, he said.

We need a new generation of creative scientists. For that we need an environment conducive to research. Our academic institutions must have well equipped laboratories and academics who have proven capacity to attract youth to science, the minister said. "Unfortunately, many of our universities lack research culture. Unless there is good research, effective teaching is not possible and vice versa. All our institutions of higher learning should transform into research-cum-teaching hubs," he added.

This can be achieved by the presence of a number of renowned research-oriented teachers on campus to attract bright students. Such a research environment will provide credibility to university departments and, in turn, bring in funds from industries and R&D laboratories for research projects. He stressed the importance of academic leadership, like vice-chancellors who are intellectuals themselves, without which universities will remain barren and mediocre.

To attract the best minds to science at the postgraduate and doctoral levels, the minister suggested introducing an exclusive science cadre to facilitate a career in well known scientific laboratories and universities. This may help in reversing the present trend of taking up engineering , medicine or management programmes after Class 12, he added.

Governor K Rosaiah said that research in basic sciences and technology should be strengthened, and that the celebration of a National Science Day signifies the role of institutions to encourage and motivate young students to take to research and develop in them a flair for innovation. 

The governor distributed awards to student inventors, and heads of various departments for coming up with projects that drew funding from the department of science and technology and the University Grants Commission. The event was organised by the Dr ALM Centre for Basic Sciences and Development at the University of Madras.