Mamata invites Mittal to Bengal biz meet in Jan

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hailed the contribution of minority-run educational institutions in the state. She said, these institutions had performed their duties well and produced meritorious students over the years.

Banerjee was speaking at the inauguration of first Academic Session (2017-18) of St Xavier's University along with the opening of the Lakshmi and Usha Mittal Foundation Building (Academic Block) at the University campus at Rajarhat. She also met Lakshmi Mittal, a Xaverian, Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal in the same programme and invited him to attend the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), scheduled to take place in January, next year.

"The minority educational institutions in our state are performing their duties commendably. They have brought reform in our education system. I personally like to congratulate these institutions for their contribution," the Chief Minister said.

She also said that institutions like Ramakrishna Mission had done great work and which could serve as a model for others to emulate. "The educational institutions run by minorities do not ever encourage clashes. I strongly believe that you (the institutions) will continue to do good work in the future," the Chief Minister said.

Expressing her good wishes to the University, Chief Minister said: "I am confident that St Xavier's University will compete with the likes of Harvard and Oxford within 3-4 years," she said.

Chief Minister praised the alumni of St Xavier's College which has been upgraded to a university. "I am very proud of this institution. I have been attending their programmes every year. This institution has some great teachers and they are imparting high-quality education to the students," she said adding, "You can find a Xaverian everywhere in the world."

The Chief Minister informed that the state government had set up 17 universities in the last six years and 5 to 6 other universities would be set up in the near future. The number of the seats in the universities now stands at 4.5 lakh. The government has also set up 6,000 new schools, ITIs and medical colleges.

"My government has been awarded United Nations Public Service Award for Kanyashree Prakalpa. This project seeks to improve the status and well-being of girls, specifically those from socio-economically deprived families through conditional cash transfers. We took up this project to check school dropouts and child marriage in our state," she said.

The state government has taken up Sikhashree project to encourage students from scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs) to go to schools and Yuvashree project for the development of unemployed youths.