Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing, Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu today emphasised the importance of getting empowered and enlightened through higher learning.
Addressing students after inaugurating the Vallalar Maiyam Student’s Facilities Centre at Kumaraguru College of Technology, Naidu said, “Getting a job alone will not suffice; seekers of higher learning should be empowered, enlightened and be able to discharge their duties to a larger society.”
“And such learning should also enlighten them to understand the nuances of life. With the passing of time and changing values, education today has become a trade-off, more particularly as a means of getting a lucrative job. While it is not wrong to get a job, the seeker should also be enlightened citizens,” the Minister added.
“In the present state of the economy, there are not that many jobs. Institutions that do not fall in line should diversify,” he said.
Commenting on the collection of exorbitant donations, luxury on the campus in the form of air-conditioned classrooms, hostels and buses, Naidu said, “Education sector has become a playground for community forces. Focus on scientific reasoning and moral science has taken a backseat and our moral values are getting diluted.”
Urging KCT students to take advantage of the value-based education imparted by the promoters, he said, “Go abroad, learn, earn and return to your motherland. India’s strength is in our family system, but this is getting weakened.”