Focus on skilling, research, and innovation to sustain higher education, says AICTE Chairman

T.G. Sitaram, AICTE Chairman, and T.R. Paarivendhar, founder-chancellor, SRMIST, handing over a degree to a student at the convocation held on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: AKHILA EASWARAN

“We need to focus on skilling, research, and innovation to sustain higher education and achieve 50% gross enrolment ratio (GER) by 2035,” said T.G. Sitaram, Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Sunday.

At the 20^th Convocation of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) in Chennai, he said: “Skills and knowledge are essential for sustaining a career in today’s rapidly changing job market. Regardless of your field of study, staying updated on digital transformations is crucial for remaining relevant in the job market.”

Mr. Sitaram said India was the third-largest start-up ecosystem globally, attributing this success to the youth. “More than 60% of these start-ups come from students in second and third-tier colleges, not just IITs. We are the youngest nation in the world, and we must leverage this demographic for our economic growth.”

A total of 8,438 students from the faculty of engineering and technology, comprising 7,272 undergraduates, 356 postgraduates, and 198 Ph.D scholars, received their degrees on the occasion. Among them, 147 were rank holders.

T.R. Paarivendhar, founder-chancellor, SRMIST; Ravi Pachamuthu, pro-chancellor (administration); P. Sathyanarayanan pro-chancellor (academics); S. Niranjan, co-chairman of the SRM Group of Institutions; Nitin M. Nagarkar, pro-vice-chancellor (MHS) In-charge; C. Muthamizhchelvan, vice-chancellor of the institution, S. Ponnusamy, registrar, K. Gunasekaran, controller of examinations, and Commander V. K. Jaitly, University Grants Commission Nominee (Finance Committee), were present at the event.