The Hindu Business Line : Cusat doctorates for Madhavan Nair, Narayana Murthy

Mr N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies, being greeted by Mr R.L. Bhatia, State Governor and Chancellor of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), on Sunday. Mr Murthy, along with Mr G. Madhavan Nair (extreme left), Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, received honorary doctorate degrees in science at a special convocation in Cusat on Sunday. - H. Vibhu

Kochi , Jan. 15

THE Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) here has conferred honorary doctorate degrees in science to Mr. G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO, and Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies, at a special convocation in the college campus on Sunday.

The Doctor of Science degrees (Honoris Causa) were awarded by the State Governor and Chancellor of the university, Mr. R. L. Bhatia.

Addressing the students and faculty of CUSAT after being conferred the degree, Mr Madhavan Nair stressed the need for building a strong partnership between the academia and ISRO towards providing scientific and technology solutions to the country's development problems.

He pointed out that ISRO's future missions - orbiting astronomical observatory Astosat, Megha Tropiques mission for climate studies and Chandrayan I - would provide exciting opportunities for young researchers.

He also exhorted the young generation to observe nature and analyse it so that better understanding of the phenomena occurring on earth as well as on the planetary system could be obtained.

Mr Murthy said on the occasion that lack of world-class educational institutions in the higher education system in the country due to government regulations had resulted in providing limited opportunities to colleges and universities to adapt to change.

The institutions of higher education should play successful role for creation of knowledge and innovative ideas. They should also help Indian industries to face the challenges of a competitive globalised economy, he said.

He pointed out that most of the institutions were unable to attract and retain high quality faculty. Lack of market orientation had also resulted in colleges to focus on outdated curriculum and rote learning, he said.

As a result, a large proportion of educational institutions produce graduates who were ill-equipped to relate their learning to the outside world. India today had over 5.3 million unemployed university graduates even as Indian industries face shortages of skilled labour, he added.