AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

NT Bureau
Chennai, July 29:
 

Union Finance minister P Chidambaram addressing the students of Meenakshi College for women in Chennai yesterday. Industralist Nalli Kuppuswamy, principal and secretary of Meenakshi college for women K S Lakshmi are among those present.

        The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has focused is on the areas of higher education and student empowerment and the loan disbursement for education in the last three years has increased manifold, said Union Finance minister P Chidambaram.

        He was speaking at a function organised by the Meenakshi College for Women to celebrate the accomplishment of A+ accreditation by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), here yesterday.

        Meenakshi college has achieved the distinction of being the first college in India to get the A+ accreditation this year.

        Pointing that the UPA, after assuming power, within a period of three years, has given away loans worth Rs 14,200 crore, as compared to that of Rs 4,55,000 crore during the previous NDA government's regime, he said that 9,27,000 students were benefited. During the previous regime, only 3,20,000 students were given loans, Chidambaram emphasised.

        He said the strength of students have also increased from 3,20,000 in 2004 to 9, 27,000 in 2007.

        The government is committed to take higher education to world class standards.

        The benefits of this should percolate to the people at all levels of the society, the Minister said and added that 54 per cent reservation in all higher educational institutions was part of this agenda.

        He stressed the need for making the country a knowledge based society, which could be possible only by raising standards of education at all levels.

        Sounding optimistic, he pointed that the real wealth is education and the country would be respected by its knowledge base.

        Citing the example of Bill Gates and other developed countries, he said it was their knowledge and commitment to excel in their chosen field, that earned them real respect.

        He, however, said India was a knowledge-society even around 2000 years back, but over the time it has lost its charm and rich knowledge. He added that it is time to regain it.

        A reform in the teaching methodologies, more research oriented studies in universities and colleges, was needed, he said.

        Professors in foreign universities engage themselves in research along with teaching.

        Teaching professionals here should emulate them, Chidambaram said.

        Industralist Nalli Kuppuswamy, principal and secretary of Meenakshi college for women K S Lakshmi and founder member of the college R Pillai spoke.