Demographic dividend may become a liability, says Pranab Mukherjee

Bengaluru: “The country’s demographic dividend might turn into a demographic liability if action is not taken to improve skills and employability of the youth,” said President Pranab Mukherjee, addressing the graduates and faculty of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) during the convocation of the premier institution on Wednesday.

He also called out to the leaders and administrators of higher education to think of solutions to avoid such downfalls. “The target set by the government to skill 500 million people by 2030 is highly appreciable. It should be implemented with honesty,” he said.

Making constant references to the importance of quality education, he said, “Advanced infrastructure facilities and conducive atmosphere for learning are important for the development of our scientists and economists.” He was “deeply satisfied” with his last visit to a central institute as the President. “IISc has made India proud over the years,” he said. On the importance of research for effective nation-building, Mr Mukherjee said, “Research has been neglected, not just by the academia but also our industries for far too long. We cannot make any progress in the desired manner unless we invest more in basic research. The bright minds of India should engage themselves in fundamental research” he said.  

Summing up the 27-minute convocation address, he urged the blooming scientists to contribute to nation-building in a “more productive” manner. 

The annual IISc convocation this year saw 625 students receiving their degrees in various PhD, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. 52 academic awards were also presented during the function.