Address of
The Hon’ble Shri M. K. Narayanan Governor of West Bengal and Chancellor
At the
Annual Convocation of
North Bengal University
5 October 2013
Esteemed Vice-chancellor, Professor S. K. Das, Chief Guest of today’s Convocation, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, Members of the Faculty, students, and distinguished members of this audience.
I welcome you all to this 44th Annual Convocation of the University of North Bengal in my capacity as Chancellor of the University. It is my special privilege to welcome Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, a distinguished Space Scientist and we feel honoured that he has agreed to deliver this year’s Convocation Address.
I have had the good fortune of knowing Dr. Radhakrishnan for a number of years now, specially during my tenure as the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office, when I had to deal with ISRO. During my six years in the PMO, ISRO notched several firsts, including the Chandrayaan Moon Mission, and in each and every one of them Dr. Radhakrishnan played a key role. His seminal contribution to space research, hence, needs no elaboration.
I do not plan here to refer to his long list of titles, Chairman, ISRO, Chairman, Space Commission, Secretary, Department of Space, etc, confining myself to state that his contribution to putting Indian Space Research and the ISRO on the world’s Space Map, has been outstanding. We are hopeful that as a key participant in the UN Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space Dr. Radhakrishnan will be able to carve out a special niche for India in comparison with other leaders in the Exploration of Outer Space, such as the US, UK, France, China and Japan.
This is the third occasion that as Chancellor I am addressing a Convocation of North Bengal University. I am well aware that in recent years, the University has gone through a series of problems, and am hopeful that under the current Vice Chancellor, some degree of stability has been reached. I confess to having been deeply pained at the internecine conflict that affected the smooth functioning of the University and it is my earnest desire and pious hope that all this is behind us.
The University of North Bengal was established over five decades back in keeping with the growing socio-economic and related needs of the six North Bengal districts as also the neighbouring State of Sikkim. The expectation was that the establishment of the University would fire the hopes and aspirations of thousands of students belonging to the region, and while the University has made progress, I would be less than honest if I were not to say that much more could have been done. I would, however, like to compliment the University authorities for establishing a new campus in Jalpaiguri district which would have in the first instance, Departments of Bengali, English, Sanskrit, Geography and Applied Geography.
Education is a crucial element in a nation’s progress as also in human empowerment and social change. An important aspect of University education is that in addition to accretion of knowledge, it must help students recognize the virtues of tolerance and humanism. Hence, apart from intellectual pursuits, true education must lead to the building of a responsible and compassionate citizenry. This is no easy task, given the different temperaments, the varying capacities and limitless variety of the students who come to study in a University. Yet, the true worth of a University lies in its ability to suitably mould the minds of the youth who pass through its portals and help them appreciating the worth of the defining moral values of our civilization.
Faculty is a crucial element in our Higher Education and University system. It is distressing to note that there are several Faculty positions that are vacant in many of our Universities, including North Bengal University. Absence of good faculty cannot but affect the quality of higher education adversely impact our nation’s development. At educational meets across the country, the constant refrain is that there is a dearth of quality academic institutions in the country. To the contrary, I believe that if we have good faculty, given the quality of students in our Universities, our existing institutions can qualify to become quality academic institutions.
I am hopeful that during the 12th Plan Period, with the focus on expansion, equity, excellence, and more funding, several of the impediments standing in the way of quality education can and will be overcome. We have entered a Knowledge Era and one can expect tectonic changes in all spheres of human activity – social, political, educational, scientific, etc. We must emerge the leaders in this new dispensation.
Having listened to the Vice Chancellor’s Report as the activities of the University I have only one comment to offer. This is that in both my earlier Convocation Addresses (in 2010 and 2011) I had harped on the fact that given the jurisdiction of NBU, which is highly prone to natural disasters, the University should specialize on research and studies which have material impact on mitigating the affects of various natural disasters such as landslides, floods, earthquakes, cyclones and the like. Yesterday, while speaking at the Convocation of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya in Pundibari, I again stressed on the need for Universities in the region to specialize in problems of the ecologically rich Northern districts of Bengal, as it is of critical importance to the future progress of the State. I am not aware whether my suggestions have been heeded or not and whether any steps have been taken in this matter. I would, however, once again urge NBU to devote special attention to the aspects that I just mentioned.
I shall conclude by extending my very best wishes to the young graduates passing out today. You are fortunate that you are entering the wide world at a time when India has established itself as one of the Major Emerging Economies of the world. Notwithstanding current pessimism on account of a decline in growth rates over the past two years, India’s economy is highly resilient and you will have many opportunities in which you can utilize your skills both for your benefit and that of the nation. The knowledge and skills that you have learnt in the University will stand you in good stead, and I wish you well and Godspeed. You have not only a great future, but you also have a great deal of responsibility to ensure that the Nation that you belong to prospers along with you.
All the very best.
Thank you.
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