Fill up faculty posts fast for quality education: Kovind
New Delhi, July 13 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday advised higher learning institutes to fill vacant faculty positions fast to ensure quality education and research.
Kovind said this while addressing the heads, directors and vice chancellors of 19 central-level institutions in an yearly meeting.
"Wherever posts are yet to be created, it has to be done at the earliest. Filling up of vacant faculty positions is critical for ensuring quality education and research. I am sure you will take all the possible steps to ensure all these positions are filled up before next meet," Kovind said.
The 19 higher learning institutes included the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Hajipur and Hyderabad), Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, National Institute of Design and the Nalanda University.
This was the fourth such meeting held at Rashtrapati Bhavan by the President who is Visitor to 146 Central Universities and institutions of higher learning. For ease of management and type, the universities were divided in cohorts.
The fifth meeting -- to be held next week -- with another cohort will complete Kovind's engagement with all the 146 institutions within a year.
Addressing the heads, the President urged them to plan the future of their centres keeping India's large youth population in mind and also the prospect of five trillion dollar GDP target by 2025.
"This requires us to think big and to take risks - and each of your institutes must be equal to the challenge," he said.
He told the pharma institutes that this was the time to take a "quantum leap" in the field through drug discoveries and eradicating long-standing diseases like tuberculosis. He also called for a thrust on "management of emerging lifestyle diseases."
To the agriculture institutes, Kovind suggested adopting of new technologies that "we have so far shunned to maximise on the scarce resources".
"We need to be mindful that the pressure on land and on water is immense. New technologies, including technologies we have so far shied away from, will need to be studied and adopted, as feasible," he said.
Kovind gave corresponding advice to the aviation, maritime and design institutes.
"In conclusion, I would nudge you towards partnering with universities in our country and outside; in your respective fields and beyond. Knowledge cannot grow in silos and it is essential that each of you participate in the growth of the other," he said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
