EPSI Roundtable Discussion on Higher Education in IndiaEducational institutions in engineering have a greater role to play in nation building: AICTE ChiefScholarships to encourage core engineering students

Chennai, May :
Educational institutions for engineering have a greater role to play in the process of nation building, said Prof T G Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE.
He was speaking at the inauguration of round table discussion on ‘Higher Education in India: Opportunities and Challenges in the context of NEP Implementation’ at SRM Institute of Science and Technology premises at Kattankulathur near Chennai today.
The event was organised by Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI) in association with SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST).
There are a lot of AICTE approved educational institutions for engineering and they graduate over 1.4 million students every year. These students have always kept India in great strides.
Pointing towards the well-known Indian space venture Chandrayaan, Prof Sitharam said the role of students coming from these engineering educational institutions had a prominent contribution.
Engineering talent generated in India has proved its mettle across the globe, it has tasted success. It is a matter of great pride that engineers from this nation have set their foot in most popular companies located on foreign shores.
Our talent has become globally well-known, we have achieved a lot, this has to be taken to the next level and NEP has a major role to play in it.
We are third largest country in bringing out research publications. Our position stands the same in patent producing, he said. This has to be taken to next level.
Stressing the need to encourage core engineering, he said they would soon be bringing about 5000 scholarships for students to attract them towards core engineering disciplines.
He further said NEP has various fine points and stressed towards implementation of it. All the stakeholders must come together to work towards successful implementation of the policy, he said.
Dr S P Thyagarajan, former vice chancellor of University of Madras said NEP 2020 has a road map for making India a developed nation. While the progress is achieved, we must stay connected to our roots.
Pro Vice Chancellor of SRMIST Dr P Sathyanarayanan said the nation has come a long way from times when government educational institutions used to play a crucial role to the present times when private educational institutions are playing a lead role in development of the country.
Things were not easy for private individuals to start educational institutions, there was a viewpoint that private sector did not have the required capacity to establish an educational institution in the field of higher learning.
It is happy to note that there is a change in that situation now, and private institutions also have earned a great name in the field of education.

Their fame in the field of engineering and other fields stands high, he said. There is more to be achieved and institutions like AICTE must be the facilitators for the progress of higher education in the country, he said.
Dr M R Jayaram, Chancellor of Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru said the interest of the students must be the top priorty. Governments, universities, state governments and colleges have to work together for that, he said.
Private institutions must play a bigger role in fostering knowledge development. There should be a greater stress on outcome-based education, he said.
D P Singh, former chairman of UGC also spoke. Dr H Chaturvedi, Alternate President of Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI) welcomed the gathering. P Palanivel, Secretary General, EPSI proposed the vote of thanks.