Provide Vital Human Resources for
 Nation’s Development : President

         resident       APJ      Abdul      Kalam,    while inaugurating the concluding function of the Golden Jubilee Year of the University Grants Commission held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on 28th December, said "higher education needs to be backed by employment opportunities- the universities should become a facilitator for creating this entrepreneurship scheme through the support of the banking system and the marketing system. This is one way of reducing the employment gap leading to upliftment of the 260 million people living below the poverty line" (full text of the speech, page 4).
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Science & Technology and Ocean Development, emphasized the need for open flexible structures with cross migration approach among the universities blended with conventional and distance education modes for facing the increased demand in future. He also stressed

the need to address the issues connected with the governance of higher education. He stated, "the need of tomorrow is to create open and transparent governance mechanisms, where the responsibilities, duties and powers of all the authorities and the offices in the universities are so defined that university is able to manoeuver itself for better governance without
losing the importance of the core activities in teaching, learning research and development." Appreciating the UGC’s infonet programme, he emphasized that it is extremely important that our research is being recognized internationally and the academics should stress on excellence which should in no case be compromised.

On this occasion, the Minister also announced 1000 "Swarn Jyanti Scholarships for Post Graduate students" in colleges and universities in the general education system. These scholarships would be named after eminent
                                                         Contd. on page 8...