India's Academic Institutions Urged to Foster Innovation and Excellence

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged India's academic institutions to transform and meet national priorities. At a UGC workshop, he emphasized integrating Indian languages, boosting innovation, and achieving global R&D standards. The goal is to enhance youth competencies and propel India to a producing economy.

On Wednesday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan underscored the importance of reinventing India's academic institutions to address 21st-century aspirations and global challenges. Speaking at a University Grants Commission (UGC) workshop on Institutional Development Plan (IDP), he called upon the academic fraternity to focus on national priorities.

Pradhan emphasized that the country's higher education must integrate Indian languages, prioritize innovation, and enhance job creation, with the ultimate aim of meeting global standards in research and development. He highlighted that educational advancements will play a crucial role in transforming India from a consuming to a producing economy.

During the event, Pradhan also launched a Compendium of UGC guidelines and reiterated the government's objectives to double the gross enrolment ratio, bring the majority of the population under higher education, and elevate 5,000 HEIs to centres of excellence. He urged the educational community to empower youth and redefine the purpose and structure of higher education to make them future-ready.

(With inputs from agencies.)