1.
I consider it my
privilege to be present here today and deliver the Keynote Address in memory of
Late Shri Arjun Singh, who
was a great leader of
our nation, and a passionate arbiter of the common man. To begin with, let me
thank The Arjun Singh Sadbhavna Foundation
and the Madhya Pradesh Foundation for organizing this Lecture in remembrance of
a person who stood for
the poor and the downtrodden; the backward and the underprivileged.
2.
On his demise in March
2011, Arjun Singhji left behind a rich legacy of
administrative acumen, political statesmanship and a lifetime spent in
championing the cause of weaker sections. To carry forward the ideals for which Late Shri Arjun Singhji
lived, an institution in the form of The Arjun Singh Sadbhavana Foundation was set up in February this year. I
am told that the main objective of this trust is to work for the weaker
sections of society and for women empowerment. It will undertake activities for
the upliftment of the poor and needy, using education
as the primary tool of development. It is heartening to find amongst its
trustees distinguished leaders in public life who have had long years of
association with Arjun Singhji.
I, too, had the good fortune of having been associated with him. He was my esteemed colleague of more than
four decades in public life, in various governments and outside.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
3.
Late Arjun Singhji had an enviable
political career spanning over five decades. He first became a member of the
State Legislative Assembly in 1957 and remained so for the next twenty eight
years. He served as Minister in the State for several years with different
portfolios including Education. He became the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
in 1980 after the Assembly elections in which the Congress Party secured an
absolute majority. Thus,
Arjun Singhji rose from the ranks of the Party to claim
the top position in the State. He quickly made a mark as a deft administrator.
As the Chief Minister from 1980 to 1985, he initiated various schemes for the
welfare of the marginalized and started many projects for the all round
development of the State.
4.
Though elected as the
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh again in 1985, he resigned from that position.
He became the Governor of Punjab in March 1985. During his tenure, Arjun Singhji restored peace and
harmony in the state of Punjab. He remained Governor till November 1985, after
which he came to Delhi. He was elected to the Eighth Lok
Sabha from the South Delhi Constituency and was sworn
in as the Commerce Minister. He later served as the Minister of Communications
from October 1986 to February 1988. Thereafter, he again became the Chief
Minister of Madhya Pradesh for about a year in 1988-89.
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
5.
Late Arjun Singhji played a crucial
role at the national level. After being elected to the Tenth Lok Sabha in 1991, Arjun Singhji served in the Narasimha Rao Cabinet for over
three years as the Minister of Human Resource Development. Subsequently, he was
elected to the Rajya Sabha
twice, in the year 2000 and in 2006. He again became the Human Resource
Development Minister in the Dr. Manmohan Singh
Cabinet, which he served with distinction for five years from 2004 to 2009.
With over eight years, Arjun Singh ji perhaps had the longest tenure as Human Resource
Development Minister after Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
The education landscape in our country naturally had a considerable imprint of
the policies that Arjun Singhji
had pursued.
6.
The higher education
sector was marked by rapid expansion during his term as Human Resource
Development Minister. The proposals for the Eleventh Five Year Plan resulted in
a significant rise in the number of central institutions of higher learning,
either through the establishment of new institutes or the up-gradation of
existing ones. During the Plan period 2006-07 to 2011-12, the number of central
universities increased by 21, IITs by 8, IIMs by 7 and NITs by 10. Today,
the number of universities in India are 730 and there
are 36000 degree giving colleges.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
7.
Unfortunately, the
quality of education in most of our institutes is below par. If we delve into
our past, we could find renowned seats of higher learning – Nalanda,
Takshashila, Vikramashila, Valabhi, Somapura and Odantapuri – that dominated the world higher education
system for eighteen hundred years beginning sixth century BC. Scholars from
round the globe flocked to these ‘poles of knowledge’. A different scenario is
noticeable today. Many meritorious Indian students pursue their higher studies
from foreign universities. Nobel laureates – Har Gobind Khorana; Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar; Dr. Amartya
Sen; and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan – did their graduate or post-graduate studies
in Indian universities before they went abroad for higher learning. Since 1930,
no scholar from and Indian university has won the Nobel Prize. It is ironical
that our higher education system, which is capable of producing world-class
scholars, loses them to foreign universities.
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
8.
None of our
universities earlier found a place amongst the top two hundred positions in
world university rankings. I have been repeating in my interactions with
institutions of higher learning that the rankings process must be accorded due
importance. Indeed, IITs and a few other central
institutions have started making efforts to present their credentials before
the rating agencies in a more systematic manner and with a proactive approach.
I am happy that good results have flowed since. Indian institutions – not one
but two - have found place for the first time amongst the top 200 universities
in the world in rankings by a reputed agency. Two other Indian institutions
have been ranked within the top 20 small universities in the world by another
international agency. I hope this trend will continue and we will soon attract
mighty minds from all over world.
9.
To enable Indian
institutes of higher learning to emerge as world-class institutions, a National Institutional Ranking Framework has been
launched recently. It ranks institutions on parameters covering teaching,
learning and resources; research and professional practices; graduation
outcomes; outreach and inclusivity; and perception.
10.
Indian universities
indeed have the potential to be leading institutions in the world if we ensure
academic freedom. For that, urgent improvements in academic management
are needed. Our institutions must pursue excellence
in every sphere of academic activity, be it teaching, evaluation, research or
project work. To make learning more effective, teaching pedagogy must be
refined, curricula up-dated regularly, an inter-disciplinary approach adopted
and evaluation mechanism reformed. Physical infrastructure must be improved. To
pursue excellence, core competencies must be identified and centres of
excellence nurtured. To create quality consciousness, every institution must be
benchmarked and accredited.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
11.
A healthy interface
with the industry can benefit higher educational institutions in terms of:
involvement of industry personnel in curriculum design and project guidance;
sponsorship of chair positions; and setting up of incubation centres and
laboratories. Setting up industry-interface cell can accelerate these
activities.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
12.
Research and innovation
are the keystones for widening the country’s production potential. Our future
growth will result not so much from the utilization of our resources with
existing technology than from its better usage through more advanced
technology. Unfortunately, investment in research in our country is lacking.
R&D expenditure as percentage of GDP is a mere 0.8 percent in India.
Compared to that, it is 3.6 percent in Japan, 2.7 percent in the US and 2.0
percent in China. Higher academic and research institutions must be the hotbeds
of research activity. Building a sound research eco-system calls for a slew of
measures like collaborative partnerships and better financial incentives for
attracting and retaining research talent. To imbibe a scientific temper and a
spirit of inquiry in students, research at the under-graduate level must be
promoted.
13.
A country like India
needs innovative solutions to issues in renewable energy, climate change,
drinking water, sanitation and urbanization. These developmental challenges
call for an inspired response from the higher education system. The IMPRINT
India programme - a Pan IIT and IISc initiative –
launched in November last year has identified ten themes that will link the
research done by institutes of national importance with the immediate
requirements of the society.
14.
The role of
educational institutions goes beyond mere pedagogy and classrooms. It is
incumbent on them to mould students into responsible human beings. They have to
instill in the students the civilizational
values of love for motherland; performance of duty; compassion for all;
tolerance for pluralism; respect for women; honesty in life; self-restraint in
conduct; responsibility in action; and discipline.
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
15.
In a
pluralistic democracy, it is important that the values of tolerance, respect
for contrary views and patience are inculcated amongst the citizens
particularly the youth. Pluralism and tolerance have been the hallmark of our
civilization. This is a core philosophy that must continue undeterred. For,
India’s strength lies in her diversity.
16.
India is a
multi-faceted nation of 1.3 billion people, 122 languages, 1600 dialects and 7
religions. In the words of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
which I quote: “It is a country held together by strong but invisible
threads” (unquote). Diversity of our country is a fact. This cannot be
turned into fiction due to the whims and caprices of few individuals. Plurality
of our society has come about through assimilation of ideas over centuries. The
multiplicity in culture, faith and language is what makes India special. We
derive our strength from tolerance. It has been part of our collective
consciousness for centuries. It has worked well for us and it is the only way
it will work for us. There are divergent strands in public discourse. We may
argue. We may not agree. But we cannot deny the essential prevalence of
multiplicity of opinion. Otherwise, a fundamental character of our thought
process will wither away.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
17.
Gandhiji had said and I quote: “Religion
is a force for unity; we cannot make it a cause of conflict” (unquote). The
harmony of faiths in India stands out as an important moral example in a world
where several regions have been torn apart by sectarian conflicts. We must
continue to lead by example. We must work towards maintaining the continuing
goodwill amongst different communities. At times,
communal harmony will be put to test by vested interests. We must therefore
remain alert to communal tensions rearing its ugly head anywhere. Rule of Law
must form the sole basis for dealing with any challenging situation. It is our
democratic underpinning that must prevail at all times.
18.
Democracy
is not all about numbers but also calls for consensus building. A phenomenon
seen in recent times is the way the common man is engaged with affairs of the
nation. While we must wield no space to anarchy, efficient democratic machinery
must have the means and wherewithal to absorb public opinion for formulation of
sound policies.
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
19.
Late Arjun Singhji was one leader
whose heart and mind was rooted to the ground. He
never lost his simplicity to power, nor did he lose his concern for the common
man. He dedicated himself to the building of a strong nation based on the
values of secularism and democracy which he dearly cherished. He held important positions in the Congress Party and was an able
political organizer. He had a deep understanding of political issues and their
undercurrents, which was an asset while dealing with any political situation.
20.
I hope the Foundation
set up to commemorate Shri Arjun
Singhji will strive to take forward the causes he
espoused, and live up to his cherished ideals. This would be the most fitting
tribute to his work. I compliment Shrimati Arjun Singh (Saroj Kumari) for taking this initiative. My good wishes to the
family and well wishers involved in setting up the Foundation!
Thank you.
Jai Hind.
****
AKT/SH