Gangtok: A seminar on “Higher Education: The Way Forward” - the 4th programme of the ongoing 2nd Foundation Day celebration of Sikkim University - was held Monday at the Government College here at Tadong.
Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University, Prof. Mahaendra P. Lama, in his welcome address reflected on the chosen topic of the seminar, underscoring its relevance in context of an emerging national policy for higher education.
Prof. Lama said: Today we are here to discuss the emerging policies on higher education in India. We all know that India as a great nation is in the cross roads. We are keen to be counted as a developed nation, we are striving hard to assume the role of a global player and we are determined to be a power house of knowledge. We could do so both because of the prolonged and widely known history of knowledge based civilization of ours and of course, the generous pool of powerful human beings we have had in the country in the arena of knowledge, wisdom and intelligence.
“The new higher education policies are being floated and would soon be implemented. We do not want to be a follower like in the past. We would not like to be just a taker like in the past. We would not like to be a geographical laggard and victim of half baked infantile institutions. We would like to rather be a leader and fore runner in the game and get maximum benefits of any national policies on higher education. In other words, let us not wait for the policies to trickle down…”
Mr. NK Pradhan, minister for human resource development department, has said the Sikkim government is determined to promote quality education in the State. “Just talking about quality education is not enough. To promote quality education, quality teachers are needed for which the State government has taken care to produce and appoint qualified manpower for education”, said Mr. Pradhan who was chief guest of the day’s programme.
Mr. Pradhan lauded the initiatives of Sikkim University. He said “Sikkim University is truly doing hard work to produce quality students. The state government is very hopeful of the efforts of the University.”
Dr. Surjit Singh Pabla, Vice Chancellor of Sikkim Manipal University spoke of a need to capitalize the human resources in Sikkim. Mr. PD Rai, Lok Sabha MP, said the centre is also thinking of bringing about a change in education system to foster quality education and education for all. “Recently in Parliament a legislation is passed for free and compulsory education up to middle school, for which the state government has to bear the expenses of the students. This will of course bring some change in the society,” Mr. Rai said.
He felt students should be given freedom choose the subjects they want to study.
“Academics are overregulated and under governed. This will not help upgrade quality education,” Mr. Rai observed.
In the second part of the programme, three eminent speakers spoke one on different topics. Prof. Sachindanand Sinha, Centre for Study of Regional Development, School of Social Science, JNU, spoke on “National Knowledge Commission Report”; Prof. S.K. Mishra, Department of Economics, North East Hill University, Shillong, on “Implication of NKC report for the Universities and People of North Eastern Region”; and Dr. Sohel Firods, Fellow, Development Studies, CSSC, Kolkota spoke on “Yashpal Committee Report”
