Economic self-reliance must for universities: Himachal Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, August 12

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla today said universities should move towards economic self-reliance by promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship and commercialisation of research and innovations.

Shukla today presided over a meeting with Vice Chancellors of six government universities at Raj Bhawan here today. He said universities must continue to strive towards excellence, ensuring that the education they provide was not just robust in content, but also relevant to the evolving demands of the global landscape.

He said it was imperative that the curriculum was continuously updated to reflect the latest advancements in various fields. “We must emphasise on holistic development to equip our students not only with academic knowledge but also with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to assist them to excel in life,” he said.

The digitisation of universities was not merely optional but necessary, he said. “We must work towards creating smart campuses where technology seamlessly integrates with education. From online learning platforms to digital libraries and administration, the adoption of these tools would be crucial in maintaining the competitive edge of our universities,” he said.

While speaking on self-reliance in economic resources, he said developing partnerships with industries, enhancing alumni networks, and creating endowment funds were strategies that could help our universities generate sustainable income. He said that fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among students and faculty, could lead to the commercialisation of research and innovations further contributing to the economic self-reliance of our institutions.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur said the state government was determined to bring qualitative improvement in education and many important decisions were being taken in this direction. He said that educational institutions in the state were being developed as ‘Cluster of Educational Institutions’ in a phased manner according to predetermined parameters.

He said the enrolment in government schools has decreased and efforts were being made to improve it. He said that griculture and Horticulture Universities of the State could provide more support to the farmers and orchardists with enhanced technology and innovations so as to increase the productivity of their crops.

Earlier, Rajesh Sharma, Secretary to the Governor gave a detailed presentation on Concerns and Priorities in Higher Education. Prof. S.P. Bansal, VC, HPU, Shimla, Prof Rajeshwar Chandel, VC, Nauni University, Prof. Lalit Kumar Awasthy, Sardar Patel University, Mandi, Prof. Shashi Dhiman, VC, HP Technical University, Hamirpur, Dr Surender Kashyap, Atal Medical University, Mandi and Dr Naveen Kumar, Agriculture University, Palampur also gave their valuable inputs through power point presentation.