significantly higher productivity. Trained manpower is needed to staff of R & D institutes, as well as high-technology concerns. Such institutions and firms are the main mechanisms through which the results of research are infused into the local economy. Tertiary education and training constitute the single greatest long-term leverage point available to all levels of government in upgrading industry.

The University system should ensure that science education in colleges and universities in the fundamental areas is revamped to match the international trends; interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity approaches are necessary in teaching programmes to prepare students for the necessary understanding and mastering the complexities of modern science; research in fundamental sciences has to be encouraged at all levels; postgraduate departments should have facilities for research; performance evaluation at all levels starting from heads of institutions/departments to individual teachers be objectively carried out; linkages between colleges, universities and national institutions have to be established. Governance structures in the university system have to be restructured and decentralized giving flexibility and autonomy to talented teachers and quality institutions.

It is equally important to strengthen education and research in arts, languages, humanities and social sciences. Higher education has many purposes beyond the acquisition of concrete skills necessary for the world of work. It also involves developing a person's ability to reason systematically about critical questions and issues; to place facts in a broader context; to consider the moral implications of actions and choices; to communicate knowledge and questions effectively; and to nurture habits that promote life-long learning behaviours outside the formal academic setting. The skills of formulation, synthesis,

 Higher education contributes to the promotion of civic   behaviours, nation building and social cohesion  through the transmission of democratic values and  cultural norms. This supports the formation and  strengthening of social capital, generally understood as  the benefits of membership in a social network that can   provide access to resources, guarantee accountability, and serve as a safety net in times of crisis. The institutions, relationships, and norms that emerge from higher education are instrumental in influencing the quality of society's interactions, which underpin economic, political and social development. Higher education institutions have to take care of social cooperation, which can foster strong networks, stimulate voluntary activity and promote extracurricular learning and innovation.

Adapting to the changing environment is not only a matter of restructuring university education, introducing emerging areas and applying new technologies but it is equally important to ensure that students are equipped with core values needed to live as responsible citizens in complex democratic societies. A meaningful education should stimulate all aspects of human intellectual potential. It should not simply emphasize access to global knowledge in science, technology and management alone, but should also uphold the richness of local cultures and values, supported by the time-honoured and eternally valuable disciplines of the humanities and social sciences, including philosophy, literature and the arts.

— Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai

Vice-Chariman, UGC

Editor