Visakhapatnam :
The 21st century will be a defining one for India and her children thanks to infrastructure development and improving connectivity due to greater emphasis on science and technology, Prof S V Raghavan, scientific secretary in the office of the principal scientific advisor to the government of India, said here on Monday while exhorting the students of Andhra University to become change agents to enrich the lives of their fellow countrymen.
Delivering the 82nd Andhra University convocation address, Prof Raghavan said science can no longer be perceived as elitist and cut off from routine and mundane societal problems. Elaborating on the continuum between science and society, Prof Raghavan pointed out that a scientific approach towards an idea helps refine it and sharpen it.
He also dwelt on one of the most exciting ideas taking shape in India. “The National Knowledge Network (NKN) is a game changer for India as it has connected 1,300 institutions spread across the country, thereby bringing the collective wisdom available across the country together and making it accessible by annihilating distance.”
Providing an example of how NKN, which is touted to be the largest knowledge database, Prof Raghavan said through NKN a patient requiring critical attention can be diagnosed and treated remotely with the help of expert opinion.
The architect of NKN said while NKN was the backbone for connectivity and access to knowledge bases, it was the student community that formed the backbone of India.
Speaking on the occasion, AU vice chancellor Prof GSN Raju said the varsity had received the highest funding of Rs 320 crore from the state government as compared to other state varsities. The AU VC also pointed out that the varsity had received Rs 35.97 crore in grants from the UGC and directorate of science and technology for research projects, over and above the Rs 1 crore received by the Delta Studies Centre which has been jointly set up by AU and ONGC.
Pointing out that AU had introduced 17 new courses in various fields, conducted 75 national and eight international seminars and workshops in the 2013-2014 academic year, he said wifi and ICT facilities were being developed on the campus in collaboration with Google and a new three storied building had also been constructed with the help of Rs 90 lakh donated by AU alumni.
During the convocation, more than 225 PhD degrees were presented and 16 medals and 13 prizes given to some of the PhD recipients. More than 426 prizes and 155 medals were presented to outstanding students and research scholars on the occasion.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / September 30th, 2014