Kanpur: Emphasizing the need of innovation and technology development in India, President Ram Nath Kovind said here on Thursday that only those countries remain in the forefront, which give priority to innovation and new technology and continuously enable their citizens to face the challenges of the future.
He was addressing the centenary celebrations of Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU), one of the oldest institutions of the state.
“Our country has increased its credibility in the field of technology, but we still have a long way to go. Technical institutions like HBTU should inculcate the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in their students. Students should be provided an environment from the very beginning in which they can contribute to the development of the country by becoming ‘job givers’ instead of ‘job seekers’,” the President said. He also urged the former students of HBTU to help current students who are in need.
The President lit a lamp to mark the start of the three-day centenary year celebrations of the university. “When HBTU is celebrating its centenary, the country is celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate 75 years of independence. And in the year 2047, when the country will be celebrating the centenary of independence, HBTU will be completing its 125 years,” he highlighted.
Lauding the role of HBTU in the field of academics, Kovind said that the university has been recognized for its contribution in the fields of oil, paint, plastic and food technologies. “The glorious history of this institution is linked to the industrial development taking place in India since the beginning of the 20th century. The technology and human resources provided by HBTU has been instrumental behind the fame of Kanpur as ‘Manchester of the East’, ‘Leather City of the World’ and ‘Industrial Hub’,” he said.
The President also pointed to the current ranking of HBTU in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), which is at 166th. “It should be the endeavour of all stakeholders of HBTU that by the year 2047, this university should be ranked among the top 25 institutes of the country.”
Emphasizing that to achieve this goal, all the stakeholders will have to work with determination. “I am confident that all the stakeholders would make every effort to take HBTU and the country to new heights,” he said.
Kovind also pointed to the low participation of girl students in technical education. “I have attended convocations of many educational institutions across the country and observed that the performance of girls was very impressive. However, in the field of technical education, participation of girl students is not satisfactory. Today, the need is to encourage more and more girls to come forward in the field of technical education to boost women empowerment,” the President said.
(timesofindia)