A day after the he rued the poor quality of higher education in the country, President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday stressed on the need to focus on research work to match the levels of countries like the UK, China and Isreal.
“The nation spends only 0.9% of GDP on research and development keeping us way behind these other nations,” said Mukherjee, while addressing the ninth convocation of Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur.
The President urged the private sector, which contributes one-fourth of the total expenditure on research and development in the country, to increase its spending share to those in Japan, US and South Korea.
“The country has dedicated the decade 2010-20 to research and innovation to create a positive environment for growth,” Mukherjee said.
He asked the youngsters to develop innovative strategies that focus on promoting inclusive growth and benefit those at the grassroots.
Talking on the importance of higher education institutions in achieving inclusive growth, the President said, ‘They should mentor grassroots’ innovators for development of their ideas into useful products.”
The President gave gold medals to the toppers in 18 post graduate programmes at a jam-packed session. He praised the contribution made by the institute in nation building.
Earlier governor Margaret Alva, in her address to the students, had expressed disappointment at the non-inclination of professionals- engineers, doctors, para-medics and teachers- to serve in rural and remote tribal areas due to lack of facilities.
She suggested the government to consider a 25 per cent additional pay for those who opt to work in tribal sub plan (TSP) areas.
“The stakeholders should evolve systemic policies to motivate young professionals to put in at least three to four years of service in remote, economically backward areas, including tribal areas,” Alva said while stressing the need on utilizing the human resource in backwards areas.
She said that officers working in less developed and tribal regions should be entitled to get ‘hardship allowances’. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot was also present during the ceremony.
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