Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday attended the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Geetanagar College at the Srimanta Sankardev International Auditorium of Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati in the presence of Vice-President of India C P Radhakrishnan and Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, according to a release issued by the Chief Minister’s office.
On the occasion, the newly constructed academic building of the college, built under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA), was also dedicated to the service of the students.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said this was C P Radhakrishnan’s first visit to Assam after assuming office as the Vice-President of India. He said Radhakrishnan is a highly experienced personality in the social and political spheres of the country, having served in parliamentary politics as well as in important constitutional positions such as Governor of several States.
Congratulating the Principal, faculty members, students and staff of Geetanagar College on the completion of 50 glorious years, Sarma paid tributes to the institution’s first Principal, Padma Shri awardee Indira Miri, its first President of the Governing Body, Khanindra Chandra Barua, and its first Secretary and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Suchibrata Raychaudhury.
The Chief Minister said women have been revered and honoured throughout the ages in India’s Sanatan civilisation. “With the objective of empowering women through the light of education, the institution was established in 1977 as Kanya Mahavidyalaya. Subsequently, the institution has been renamed as Geetanagar College. Since then, the institution has crossed five glorious decades and established a distinct identity for itself in the educational landscape of Assam,” he said.
Sarma also recalled that during his tenure as Education Minister of Assam, he had the opportunity to be associated with the provincialisation process of Geetanagar College. He said that in addition to providing academic knowledge through textbooks, Geetanagar College has signed Memoranda of Understanding with various premier educational institutions, including IIT Guwahati, for the holistic development of its students. These partnerships, he said, would provide appropriate guidance to students in the coming days and prepare them for the demanding nature of the workplace.
Lauding the college’s initiatives in Bonda areas of the Kamrup Metropolitan district towards cleanliness and adult literacy, the Chief Minister said the institution has also demonstrated a strong sense of social responsibility. He announced that the State Government would take steps to provide financial assistance of Rs 3 crore for the introduction of a Commerce stream at Geetanagar College, the release added.
The Chief Minister observed that India is presently passing through a period of historic transformation. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the people of the country a vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The younger generation is an important stakeholder in the realisation of the Prime Minister’s vision of a developed India and that the role of students is particularly significant at this crucial juncture,” he said.
Sarma observed that the rapid advancement of technology in today’s world has transformed the nature of the workplace. Therefore, academic knowledge alone is no longer sufficient. It is equally essential to combine knowledge with practical skills, analytical thinking and innovative capabilities. He said the State Government is creating new opportunities for the youth through initiatives such as the North East Skill Centre, the establishment of a Skill University and the modernisation of polytechnics and ITIs. He urged the youth of Assam to make full use of these opportunities and equip themselves with the necessary skills and capabilities.
He further stressed the need to create an ecosystem for start-ups and entrepreneurship in colleges along with academic education. In this regard, he noted that the State Government has recently established a dedicated Department of Innovation, Incubation and Start-ups for encouraging entrepreneurship. He also said that the academic capabilities of Assam’s youth have recently attracted the attention of several countries. In particular, countries such as Japan have expressed keen interest in making the youth of Assam partners in their development.
The Chief Minister also announced that the State Government has launched an initiative titled ‘CM-FLIGHT’ to facilitate foreign-language learning among the younger generation of Assam.
Sarma observed that the importance of familiarising students with emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, 5G, Big Data, Robotics, the Internet of Things, Quantum Computing, Geonomics and 3D Printing is having a profound impact on human life and the workplace. He said the vision of colleges must move beyond traditional curricula and be aligned with the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Atmanirbhar Assam.
Observing that Assam has begun entering new technological fields, including semiconductors, the Chief Minister stressed the need to build a strong ecosystem for technology. He said that only when such an ecosystem is created can technology-driven industries and enterprises be attracted to the state. Citing Taiwan as an example, Sarma said that if an ecosystem for semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence and data processing could be developed in Assam through educational institutions, many such enterprises would be attracted to the State, enabling Assam to establish a distinctive identity in the manufacturing sector within a short period of time.
Calling upon the intellectual community to work towards building an ecosystem for Industry 4.0 technology in Assam, the Chief Minister stressed that this would require not only changes in academic curricula but also a transformation in the outlook and mindset of the younger generation.
The Chief Minister, moreover, observed that the primary objective of education is not merely to impart knowledge; it is equally important to cultivate wisdom and good character. He said that commitment and devotion to the nation should remain at the core of the education system.
Sarma called upon the students to make relentless efforts to contribute to the development of the nation and use their intelligence and creativity to create new resources. “Destructive activities and anarchy cannot be our ideals. Our objective must be creation. There is no greater joy than the joy of creation. Destruction may provide temporary satisfaction, but the joy of creation lasts a lifetime,” he said.
In this context, the Chief Minister said those personalities who contributed to the establishment of Geetanagar College are remembered with respect even today. He expressed hope that the students of Assam would move forward with a creative mindset and pursue new areas of opportunity with curiosity, self-confidence, soft skills and emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence.
Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu, Guwahati Lok Sabha MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi, MLA Pradyut Bordoloi, former MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, Commissioner and Secretary, Higher Education Department, Narayan Konwar, Principal, Geetanagar College Satyajit Kalita, and a host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion. (ANI)
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