St. Xavier's Convocation: JU V-C bats for rise in Gross Enrolment Ratio

Kolkata: Jadavpur University (JU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Suranjan Das on Wednesday stressed the need to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education in the country.

Prof Das was speaking at the 12th Convocation and Valedictory of St Xavier's College on its Park Street Campus. He said: "We should focus to make the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of the country in Higher Education reach at least the world's average of 32 percent and address the difference between class, caste gender, creed and religion within our education system."

Speaking on the stark disparity in the standard of higher education among states, Das said: "How do we remove the gross regional disparity in higher education in the country? It is evident from the fact that GER varies from 56 percent in Chandigarh to 47 percent in Tamil Nadu and 14 percent in Bihar. Why is the situation like this even after seven decades of Independence? Not even one percent of the country's GDP is spent in Higher Education and only 0.69 percent of the country's GDP is utilised for research purpose."

"How can India deal with a situation where job creation has not kept pace with the growth of the GDP," Das remarked.

He expressed his gratitude to St. Xavier's College (Autonomous) for preparing the students to excel in all walks of life and producing creative and aware citizens as well.

"I had closely observed how the college had used effectively the status of autonomy to attain new mark of excellence, I compliment them for introducing new courses initiating academic steps," he said.

Das was awarded with the "Nihil Ultra" award of Excellence. "I am being honoured and feel humbled. I was formerly connected with the college that I will cherish forever."

"I sincerely express my gratitude to the principal of the college. I had the unique opportunity to be a part of the process when the college got the autonomous status and have also closely observed the transformation of it afterwards. It has attained new heights of excellence," Prof Das maintained.

"I am happy that the college introduced postgraduate courses in History and Political Science. As my present term comes to an end, I shall be happy to take classes free of costs," Das added.

Rev Dr Dominic Savio, Rector and principal of the college, congratulated all the 2,328 undergraduate, post-graduate and B.Ed students who received their degrees.

Savio said in his address as per the UGC norms the college introduced Choice Based Credit System in Arts and Science subjects after approval on March 22, 2018 while B.Com and BMS departments are already following the CBCS.

He said the college proposed to introduce PG courses in MA in English, MA in Political Science, MA in Bengali in the Raghabpur campus and M Ed.