Vice-President Calls for Academic Renaissance at Tamil Nadu Vice-Chancellors’ Conference in Udhagamandalam.
Udhagamandalam:
Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar addressed a distinguished gathering of Vice-Chancellors from state, central, and private universities of Tamil Nadu at a major educational conference held in Udhagamandalam. The event, organized as part of a continuing initiative by Tamil Nadu Governor Thiru R.N. Ravi since 2022, served as a crucible for educational dialogue and national introspection.
Opening with a solemn tribute to the victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, the Vice-President expressed deep grief and called terrorism a “global menace” that humanity must address collectively. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to peace, guided by civilisational ethos and visionary leadership.
The Vice-President emphasized the supremacy of national interest in education and governance. Citing Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s address to the Constituent Assembly, he called for prioritizing national unity over political or personal agendas.
Highlighting his own journey shaped by quality education, the Vice-President stressed the transformative power of inclusive, affordable, and quality education. “It is education that cuts through inequality and gives dignity,” he noted, calling on Vice-Chancellors to act as ‘Saarthis’—guiding lights for the youth.
He urged higher education institutions to embrace innovation, character-building, and multidisciplinary learning. He stressed the need for meaningful research tied to real-world solutions, industry collaboration, and a revival of India’s ancient Gurukul values. “Our universities must not be credential outfits, but crucibles of innovation and cultural pride,” he said.
Touching upon the National Education Policy (NEP), the Vice-President hailed it as a “transformative, game-changing policy” aligned with India’s civilizational ethos. He encouraged wider adoption of mother tongue instruction and decolonization of curriculum narratives.
He also called for a structured push toward alumni engagement, citing global institutions with billion-dollar alumni corpuses. “Let us not deprive ourselves of a think tank made of our own alumni,” he urged.
Concluding his address, the Vice-President reflected on India’s interrupted legacy from Nalanda to modern institutions, calling on educational leaders to fuel a national academic renaissance. “The intellectual revitalization of Bharat is not a dream—it is a destination,” he declared.
The conference, broadcast live on Sansad TV, was attended by top academicians and education administrators from across Tamil Nadu, reinforcing the state’s historical role as a beacon of learning.
