AU to conduct study on UP’s change from sick to prosperous state: Pradhan
PRAYAGRAJ : Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday that a detailed study would be conducted at the Allahabad University (AU) to study Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) transformation from a ‘bemaru rajya’ (sick state) to a ‘samriddha rajya’ (prosperous state).
The study would be done by academicians at the Pundit Deen Dayal Upadhayay chair, being setup by the University Grants Commission (UGC) at the AU.
Pradhan who is also the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship was speaking as the chief guest at the convocation of AU that was held at the historic senate hall of the arts campus on Monday.
The minister said that the Narendra Modi led government at the centre has the aim of improving the life of the common man and said the universities can play an important role in this.
“Researchers should not be limited to the publication of papers in reputed journals or for the promotions of the academicians but rather the same should be for the betterment of the society”, said Pradhan.
He called up the experts of the department of Sociology of AU to conduct research on the migration witnessed in the country during the pandemic.
He also appealed to the AU authorities as well as the other institutes of higher learning to introduce job-oriented courses as per the new National Education Policy (NEP).
He praised the Modi government for facing challenges arising from the outbreak of pandemic. “In March-April 2020, our country did not have enough facemasks or PPE kits and now we have produced not one but two effective vaccines against the coronavirus. We are also helping several countries by providing these vaccines to them and that too without any precondition unlike what China does,” he said.
The minister said that it is not that the country hates English but regional languages should be neglected. He also gave examples of developed nations like Japan and China wherein their major language is not English and yet they have developed so much.
The minister also asked the varsity authorities to expedite the process for filling up the vacant teaching positions on the campus.
The CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the AU chancellor, Ashish Kumar Chauhan in his address said it was an honour for him to be chancellor of an institution which has contributed immensely in shaping the country’s future.
He said that he would do anything to see to it that this ‘great university’ continues to do the same in near future. He also expressed happiness over the fact that out of the 260 medals given today, around 150 odd medals had been won by female students.
AU vice chancellor Prof Sangita Srivastava, in her address spoke of development work and the academic achievements of AU including setting up of an incubation center.
During the ceremony, assistant coach of India’s Tokyo Olympic men’s hockey team Piyush Dubey was also felicitated.
Ten meritorious students (of both undergraduate and postgraduate courses) were awarded with the chancellor’s medals for academic sessions 2018-19 and 2019-20. These included four gold, four silver and two bronze medals. Medals were awarded to 263 toppers and PhD degrees to about 550 research scholars.
The minister also inaugurated the Major Dhyan Chand Student Activity Center located in the Faculty of Science. Vice chancellor Prof Sangita Srivastava inaugurated the newly constructed Chandrashekhar Azad International Hostel and the Gargi Girls Hostel was inaugurated by AU chancellor, Ashish Kumar Chauhan.
UP cabinet ministers Sidharth Nath Singh and Nand Gopal Gupta “Nandi”, Prayagraj MP Prof Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Keshari Devi Patel and Indian hockey coach Piyush Dubey etc were also present.