President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the 15th convocation ceremony of the Symbiosis International University and talked about the gaps in higher education system even after the vast network of universities and colleges.
During his speech, he informed that government has decided to promote 20 higher education institutes as Institutes of Eminence. This will provide them with the liberty to recruit new faculty and make changes in the curriculum.
He added that India has over 903 universities and 39,050 colleges but there is a wide gap in providing quality education to students and in achieving world-class standards in higher education.
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Kovind talked about how girls perform better than boys when it comes to academics. Even at the convocation, out of the nine gold medals, six were awarded to girls which is a very positive change for the society.
Meanwhile, he also encouraged the students to help their fellow citizens and underprivileged. It is their responsibility to make the use of their education and do something for the less fortunate, he said.
According to the President, knowledge has no boundaries and India has been a centre of learning for many years. It has been welcoming people for education since medieval age and in modern times. Many students from Africa and neighbouring countries have been provided with an opportunity to pursue their higher education and will continue to do the same in future as well.
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As per the records, India has around 46,000 international students from 166 countries studying in various colleges/universities across the country.