Prof. C. Raveendranath, Hon’ble Minister for Education,
Prof.Pritam Babu Sharma, President, Association of Indian Universities (AIU)
Prof. Farqan Qamar, Secretary General , AIU,
Dr. K. Muhammed Basheer, Vice Chancellor, University of Calicut
Prof.Dr.P.Mohan, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Calicut
Dr.Abdul Majeed, Registrar, University of Calicut

Dear Vice Chancellors,
Academicians,     Ladies and Gentlemen,

       It gives me great joy to address this scholarly gathering of Vice Chancellors from who are leading the universities in the southern zone of our country.

Let me at the outset, compliment the Association of Indian Universities for organizing this Conference in the University of Calicut, which is the largest University in the State in terms of intake and number of institutions.  The Association of Indian Universities, which has been in existence since 1924 in a different name, deserves praise for its role in bringing Universities on a common platform, setting standards and encouraging active exchange of ideas among them.

Whenever we discuss higher education, we realize that the role of Universities in society has been turning complex day by day, demanding great flexibility as well as adherence to high levels of quality.  The technological revolution and the opening up of knowledge resources have challenged traditional models of education and necessitated the provision of educational avenues to more people through different modes. There have also been major shifts in the outlook towards higher education all over the world.  Undoubtedly, Vice Chancellors are bearing the brunt of this situation, while leading Universities academically and administratively and at the same time, negotiating the pressures inherent in our democracy.  

As all of us know, our successive Education Policies have recognized Education as the most important vehicle for social, economic and political change. With emphasis on equity, accessibility and quality, we also see Education as a right fundamental to man and as a precondition for development.  Since the industry is seen as the path towards development, we are now focusing more on skill development to improve the employability levels of our students.

Skill up-dating becomes important in Universities as the International Labour Organization had recently predicted a demographic dividend for India in the year 2020, which means our average age would be 29 years and we would have the most youthful workforce. But, we have a situation where the very utility of higher education in assuring employment is being questioned, with Graduate and       Post-Graduate Degrees not guaranteeing jobs in the respective fields. However, Universities must ponder over whether their focus should be only industry-specific. In fact, it should not be, especially at the cost of ignoring the wider spheres of higher knowledge. This calls for striking a balance between the immediate and long term goals of university level education.

Though the Indian Higher Education system is one of the largest in the world, we are just not ahead in quality. Less than 10% of our colleges secure 'A' Grade in the assessment of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).  Even our top institutions do not figure in the international rankings of Universities. Interestingly, many of our own institutions have not woken up to the need to be included in the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the Ministry of Human Resources Development. When the entire world talks of world class Universities, it is sad that we still have many institutions which are happy to remain as mere ‘teaching shops’.  

Dear Academicians, I am addressing you just a week after having completing a process of assessment of the quality of the Universities in Kerala. Soon after I assumed office as Governor in September 2014, I had discussions with the Vice Chancellors and we decided to form a Chancellor's Council and to Institute an annual Chancellor's Award for the best University in the State. In 2015, Kerala University and in 2016, Mahatma Gandhi University bagged the prize of Rs.5 Crore.  This year, it has gone to Cochin University of Science and Technology.

However, the new Universities found it difficult to compete with established institutions and so we instituted one award for Rs.1 crore for the best Emerging Young University. For the first time, the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University has won that prize. The advantage of having this award was that our Universities developed a healthy competition among themselves in ensuring quality, since we selected the prize winning varsity on the basis of performance in areas like Academics, Teaching & Pedagogy methods, Students' Profile and achievements, Academic governance etc.  I am very happy that the State Government has responded very positively to this award and now, I understand that the Government is going to institute a Kairali Award for the best researchers. It is our sincere hope that all these measures would certainly elevate Kerala's status in the institutional rankings and help the State to prove its worth as a preferred educational destination for the world, in the years to come.

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, our former Philosopher President, in his address to Karnatak University in 1953, had reminded us that the function of a University is not just to send out technically skilled and professionally competent men, but to ensure in them the compassion which enables individuals to treat one another in a truly democratic spirit. After nearly six decades, we are still struggling to ensure this true democratic spirit in our campuses, which should be the building blocks of our nation.  Many campuses in India are facing unrest due to several reasons and Vice Chancellors are forced to spend a lot of time handling such issues.

Kerala is no exception, but we have been taking concerted action to maintain harmony in our campuses. From my side, as Chancellor, I seek regular reports on many matters like ragging, sexual harassment drug free campus, use of Green Technologies etc. Vice Chancellors also supply quarterly reports on quality improvement, fund utilization, management of examinations, fund mobilization from UGC and other sources etc.

I am certain that the result of such monitoring can be seen in our varsities, especially the University of Calicut, where this Conference is being held. For Calicut University, this event also gives an opportunity during its Golden Jubilee year, to showcase its digital initiatives, while providing a platform for scholarly discussions on digital models of higher education, issues in ranking etc.

I hope the discussions in this two-day Conference would give shape to action plans that will improve the academic atmosphere, enhance the research output and encourage independent and innovative thinking in our universities.
I once again greet all the Vice Chancellors and other academicians who are attending this Conference and wish them all the best.  I compliment the University of Calicut for arranging this conference in a befitting manner.

Thank you,
Jai Hind.