Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Calls Upon IIT Students To Be Global Citizens

Bhubaneswar: Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday called upon the students of IITs to be ready to be global citizens.

Chairing the 55th IIT Council meeting in Bhubaneswar, Pradhan said IITs are aspirations hub for the youth of the country, and their students must aspire to become job creators rather than job seekers. The IITs should primarily be a vehicle for public welfare.

“Time has come to ensure that IITs become primary catalysts in multi-fold development of the country. IITs should resolve societal problems at a scaleable and replicate commercially viable solutions,” he said. The IITs should provide all support system for students and should have zero tolerance for all kinds of discrimination, he added.

In the context of the changing global scenario and the Prime Minister’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat as a developed country by 2047, the Council discussed the need for development of next 25 year vision for the IITs. The Council decided that each IIT will deliberate with faculty, students and other stakeholders and finalise their long-term vision by next year. The council will also create a short-term strategy plan for immediate needs of the country.

The minister said R&D fair should be an annual recurring affair, done on fixed dates and should become a globally recognizable event and IP R&D fair should be open to all students from the country where everyone can participate in challenges and competitions.

Director, IIT, Gandhinagar presented the possible underlying societal, psychological and other health issues behind depression among students. The council discussed several steps needed to ensure mental health and wellness of students at IITs.

The Minister expressed concern over recent cases of suicides and called the directors to be proactive in providing all kinds of support to students including developing a robust mechanism of zero tolerance for discrimination in institutes.

The reasons for student drop-outs were discussed in the council. The Minister asked for ensuring that the students should be allowed multiple options as per NEP 2020. He further directed the Higher Education department for further detailed report and scheduling discussion on the matter.