PANAJI: Expressing satisfaction that the Goa University, within 25 years of its establishment has achieved 35th position at the all India ranking of top 50 universities in the country, the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat on Wednesday said that his government would be more than happy to co-operate with the Goa University in exploring the possibility of establishing a permanent Chair at the university in memory of the Goan poet, Bakibab Borkar, in comparative literature and poetics, as well as another Research Chair in memory of the first chief minister of Goa, Dayanand Bandodkar, in political economy.

The Chief Minister was addressing the 26th Foundation Day function of Goa University at Kala Academy in the presence of the Governor and Chancellor of the university, Dr S S Sidhu, the Speaker of the state legislative assembly, Mr Pratapsingh Rane, member of the Planning Commission, Dr Narendra Jadhav, the vice-chancellor of Goa University, Prof Dileep Deobagkar and the first vice-chancellor of the University, Dr B Sheik Ali.

Assuring the Goa University of all support from the Planning Commission in establishing the two Chairs, Dr Jadhav said that any educational institution is an instrument of socio-economic development as well as empowerment and Goa University is bull-working demographic progress of Goa with higher education facilities.

Delivering the Foundation Day lecture on the topic ‘Reforms in higher education: In retrospect and prospect,’ the member of the Planning Commission said that the ongoing reforms in the higher education sector in the country will bring about major changes in India’s education sector. "The establishment of National Commission on Higher Education Research is in progress and its Task Force is converting the recommendations of Yashpal Committee into reality," he informed, pointing out that the Task Force has already given its proposals to the Central Advisory Board of Education, which has approved the same, and in turn, invited suggestions from various states.

Speaking further, Dr Jadhav said that other major reforms in the higher educational sector in the country include mandatory accreditation for every educational institution in the country, prevention of malpractices in the technical institutions, setting up of the adjudicator tribunals and Foreign Education Providers Bill. Observing that the country will not be able to sustain the double digit GDP growth without proper higher education, its expansion and far reach, he stated that there is a need to improve on out-of-date curricula and out-of-sync teachers.

Dr Jadhav also said that the cost of education in higher education sector, especially as related to private players in the field is unaffordable to a very large mass of students. "Finally, employability in the country is poor with more than 30 per cent of engineers alone are unemployable," he added.

"India is having world’s youngest labour force at an average age of 29, with 70 per cent of its population below 35 years," the member of the Planning Commission said, maintaining that this imparts comparative cost advantage to India for the next 25 years. "This in turn gives exceptionally high economic growth to the country, which has to be converted into reality with education and skill development," Dr Jadhav opined, pointing out that the country has to gain the demographic dividend and if India does not reform its high education sector, then there is a non-trivial risk of the country facing demographic nightmare. "The mainstay of our educational system is our state universities with 87 per cent of the students going to them for higher education," he concluded.

The Governor, Dr Sidhu in his speech said that the notion that securing a job is the end-all of educational pursuits is a limited vision and what is equally important is value-based education, which would take care of national integrity and social justice.

Dr Sidhu also said that India would dominate the world economy because of its vast youth resources in the coming years. To achieve this goal we have to bring majority of our young generations into the fold of higher education. This is a major challenge our country faces, he said. "The 21st century belongs to the Indian youth as they constitute nearly 40 per cent of the country’s population," said the Governor.

The Speaker, Mr Rane in his speech said that the evolution of the post graduate centre of the Bombay University in Goa into the Goa University is very impressive. Dr Ali also spoke on the occasion. Prof Deobagkar delivered the welcome address.

The event also witnessed releasing of various books, educational DVDs and presentation of GU silver jubilee awards to various sports persons, institutions and teachers.