Prez: Girls outscoring boys a pointer to gender equality

Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 20

Consistent outscoring of male counterparts by girl students across the country is a pointer to gender equality and making the country a developed society, said President Ram Nath Kovind during the 7th convocation of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) on Sunday.

The President expressed happiness over girl students winning two gold medals for academic performance and three out of four awards for academic excellence.

Congratulating them, the President said: “I find this commendable performance of our young women, of our society’s daughters, to be something of a national trend. They are consistently outscoring their male counterparts. This is a step forward in the cause of gender equality and making India a developed society,” said Kovind, adding that of the 152 students who graduated (got undergraduate and master’s degrees or PhD) on Sunday, as many as 66 were girls.

The President was accompanied by wife Sarita Kovind and Governors of Punjab VP Singh Badnore and Haryana Kaptan Singh Solanki, respectively.

As many as 152 students of BS-MS, BS and PhD got degrees. Terming the IISER as an important centre of higher education and research in the country, Kovind said the institute had quickly become one of North India’s foremost destinations for students and faculty interested in the pursuit of scientific advance.

The President said Mohali, with institutions like IISER, was a hub for the knowledge economy, Information Technology, biotechnology and bioinformatics and related fields. President Kovind exhorted them to serve the country and give back to society, especially those who are less privileged.

‘Scientific research has 3-fold purpose’

The purpose of scientific research is three-fold. It plays a role in nation-building, finding answers to development questions and keeping alive the instinct of curiosity. You (students) must remember these purposes to climb higher.  Ram Nath Kovind, President