Back to school: Pranab Mukhrjee recalls 10-km walk through fields
President Pranab Mukhrjee on Friday turned nostalgic, recalling his village schoolteacher.
Chennai: President Pranab Mukhrjee on Friday turned nostalgic, recalling his village schoolteacher who inspired him in his pursuit of education by kindling his interest in history.
Addressing students and academicians after inaugurating the School of Commerce and Economics, Loyola College here, the President said he would walk 10 km through paddy fields to attend high school since there was no road. “When I joined the college in a town there was no electricity in the hostel,” he added.
Mukherjee said he was undeterred in his pursuit of education after a village teacher kindled his interest in history. Stressing on the need for inspired teachers who could shape the thoughts of young minds, he said that such teachers inspired students and could elevate them to a higher level of performance and thinking.
However, he pointed out, higher education institutions in the country were facing a shortage of good faculty. He stressed the need to place top priority in filling up vacancies and capacity building of teachers.
Next: Pranab stresses on capacity building of teachers
Pranab stresses on capacity building of teachers
Chennai: President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday stressed the need to place top priority in filling vacancies and capacity building of teachers.
He said that it would not be possible for India to occupy high tables in international society unless it improved the quality of higher education. “We have a solid higher education infrastructure with over 650 degree awarding institutions and over 33,000 colleges, but the enrolment rate in higher education in the eligible age group is only 7 per cent. None of our universities is among the top 200 in the world,” he regretted.
Governor K. Rosaiah, Union shipping minister G. K. Vasan, state higher education minister P. Palaniappan, college principal Rev Dr G. Joseph Antony Samy and correspondent Dr M. Albert William also spoke.
Earlier, the city police detained seven persons, including five college students and film director Gowthaman, as a preventive arrest in view of the President’s visit here. Some students of Loyola College had planned to stage a demonstration against Mukherjee as he was part of the Union government which supported the Sri Lankan government during the final phase of the war.