CUSB Convocation: Prez praises Bihar youth for bit to ‘4th Industrial Revolution’
President Droupadi Murmu encouraged the youth of Bihar to set global standards at the local level, highlighting the achievements of the state's people in the fourth Industrial Revolution. She also praised the empowerment of girls in education and the rich legacy of Bihar in producing talented individuals. The President emphasized the importance of the youth in contributing to the country's progress and addressing challenges such as climate change. The Governor stressed the need for timely exams and results in state universities. The Central University of South Bihar received the highest A++ grade from NAAC and is striving for excellence in education.
President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said that the industrious and talented people of Bihar have achieved recognition at the global level and are contributing to the fourth Industrial Revolution, and it was now also time for the state’s youth to focus on setting such global standards at the local level.
The President, who wound up her three-day visit to Bihar on Friday, was addressing the third convocation of the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) and the first at the sprawling campus of the state’s first A++ accredited institution. She also presented the medals to the toppers of various streams and expressed happiness that out of 106 medals, 66 had gone to girls.
“It is a sign of positive change that girls are excelling in most institutions. It symbolises the building of a better society and progress in the country. Perhaps, it was with the empowerment of girls in mind that the hostels of the university were named after scholars like Gargi and Maitreyi. This is a progressive approach,” she added.
Dwelling on the rich legacy of Bihar in general and the Gaya region in particular, Murmu said this land has been famous for producing talented persons in different fields, and appreciated the naming of science block after Aryabhatt and social science block after Chanakya. “But the names would have real meaning only when the teachers and the students strive for world class education and research. Bihar’s legacy has been a guiding light for humanity. Now when the country is the fifth largest economy of the world and striving to be the third soon, the role of the youth will be of immense importance,” she added.
She said that the idea of Indian knowledge system in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, is with the objective of reviving them in the modern context due to its sheer richness. “Today, many countries are grappling with talent shortage. Talented and hard-working Indian youth are contributing their mite in different countries,” she added.
The President said CUSB students should play an active role in the changing times. “It is the youth who can make optimal use of their potential to benefit the country with demographic dividend. The youth are the carriers of our rich tradition. I request you all to give due place to social welfare and benevolence along with self-development in your goals,” she added.
Underling the need to see the challenges of climate change, she said it was fine to adopt such a lifestyle that remained aligned with nature. “There should be minim use of natural resources and maximum efforts should be for environmental protection. It was in Bihar around 2,600 years ago that Buddh and Mahavir gave the message of peace, non-violence and compassion to living beings and nature. Gandhi also preached non-violence. Their messages are more relevant for the society today. Taking our rich legacy forward can be helpful in the welfare of the world,” she added.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said that it was important to have timely exams and results, which was not happening in state universities. “Sessions are late and we are responsible for it. We have no right to spoil the career of students due to delayed sessions. This must change and we all need to work together for it. Degrees are important, but they should not a mere document for job hunt. An economist said that ‘Indian youth prefers guaranteed poverty to risky prosperity. This must change. We must think beyond self and contribute to the nation and society,” he added.
Earlier, CUSB VC KN Singh, in his welcome address, said that the institution started in 2009 and shifted to its own campus barely five years ago and it was striving for excellence. “CUSB got the highest A++ grade from NAAC this year, has adopted the New Education Policy (NEP) and has started new courses in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science to cater to 21st century needs. The Centre has also provided ₹100-crore assistance to the university, which is trying to be the growth engine of the region,” he added.
On the occasion, 1142 students of Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) and M.Phil./Ph.D. level, who passed out during 2018, 2019 and 2020, were awarded degrees, while the toppers also received Chancellor Gold Medal, School Gold Medal and Department Gold Medal.