Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi on Friday advocated that the main purpose of education should be to produce good and productive citizens.
He said that a civilized society is one where good people become good citizens. In a civilized society, each generation is expected to make the society better for the next generation.
Educational institutions should embrace the responsibility of nurturing good citizens for the overall benefit of the humanity, he opined.
Speaking at the diamond jubilee celebrations of Arya Vidyapeeth College in Guwahati on Friday, Governor Prof Mukhi said that the colleges like Arya Vidyapeeth needs to bear the responsibility of guiding its students through some of their most formative years and sends them up to nationally and internationally recognized higher educational institutions and perform social responsibility.
He further said that education without social commitment is no education at all. If it cannot make a difference to the lives of those who are in need, it cannot be of much value to the society, the Governor retorted.
The Governor also said that there must be intrinsic relationship between education and the needs of the society. He, however, stated that the present Indian system of education is moving away from the rich Indian heritage of the Vedas and the Upanishads.
In ancient India, Nalanda and Takshshila were centres of global learning which attracted thousands of students from India and abroad. The curriculum which ranged from astronomy and mathematics to ethics in these ancient universities, still remains a standard for emulation and inspiration.
He therefore, reiterated that if more research could be undertaken to unravel the timeless tradition of the ancient Indian heritage, it would surely contribute to furthering knowledge of our rich, cultural past.
He also called upon the students to revive the past glorious cultural heritage of the country.
