Syllabus should foster new abilities

Bhopal, Mar 30: Distinguished educational institutes should launch a syllabus that would foster new abilities in students, said Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, while addressing a convocation program of the Indian Institute of Forest Management here on Sunday. He added that the quality of education should be ensured or else work done for people residing in remote areas would go in vain.

Lauding the efforts of the institute to develop high-quality reading material on forestry, environment and development sectors as per the requirements of students, he said students were an inseparable part of society and the country could scale new heights by moving along with them. He emphasized the equitable distribution of the benefits of nation's recent economic progress among all the regions and categories of population in the country.

In his address, he raised concern at the relatively low position of India as far as generation of patentable innovations. He appreciated the efforts of IIFM in developing specialized curriculum as per the need of the forestry, environment and development sectors. While congratulating the students of IIFM for getting very good career opening through campus placement, Singh advised them to realize their social responsibility and try to provide space and opportunity to those, who so far remained beyond the reach of higher and quality education in the country.

Earlier, 36 students of Forestry Management and 17 students of Post Master Course on Natural Resource Management were conferred Diplomas by PR Mohanty, Vice- Chairman of BOG, IIFM and the Director General of Forests and Special Secretary of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India. Kshitiz Sanadhya and Kanika Chandel of PGDFM courses were awarded the Chairperson's Gold and Silver medals respectively by Singh for their meritorious academic performance.

PR Mohanty, Vice-Chairman, BOG, IIFM in his address recalled the valuable contribution of Singh to the development of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, while delivering the welcome address, Prof. DK Bandyopadhyay, Director, announced the launching of another flagship program called Fellow program, equivalent to PhD degree from coming academic year.