Need concerted efforts to make #Indiaswachh, #samarth, says #PranabMukherjee

Raipur: Citing Centre’s Jan Dhan Yojana and ‘Ease of Doing business’ initiatives, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said concerted and determined efforts were needed to renew India to realise Gandhiji’s dream of “swachh and samarth bharat”.

Addressing the fourth convocation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) here, he emphasised on preparing a large pool of skilled manpower to drive country’s rapid economic growth. The government has launched important initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission, Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, Jan Dhan Yojana, Make in India, Ease of Doing Business, Clean Ganga campaign etc.

Given that knowledge will spur growth in the future, it is essential that we prepare a large pool of skilled and capable manpower that can drive rapid economic growth of our country and enable us deal with poverty, deprivation and backwardness,” the President said.

The government along with the Indian Banks Association is also revising guidelines for ensuring financial support to each potential student so that no one is denied of higher education, the President said. This will empower meritorious students from low income groups benefit from quality education available at premier institutes such as IIMs,” the President said.

“The students of today would be engaged in their lifetime in jobs that perhaps do not even exist now. They have to be taught critical skills and transferable competencies. They have to be infused with qualities of creative-thinking and problem-solving,” Mukherjee said. He said the nation invests in its institutions and universities because students are country’s future.

“Students, in turn, have an important responsibility, not just to themselves and their families but also to this country and its people. I am confident that the students who have earned their degrees today will take part in nation-building in a meaningful way,” the President said.

Mukherjee said the country’s youth are the future stewards of this nation. If the targets of eradication of poverty, health for all, education for all, power for all and higher living standards are to be achieved in the near future, it is our youth who must rise to the challenge,” he said. Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Das Tandon, Chief Minister Raman Singh and other dignitaries were present during the function.

Bureau Report