THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, DELHI

1. I am happy to address this august gathering consisting of academicians and education leaders present here in the university campus for this coveted award distribution ceremony and celebration of human endeavor for excellence and sustainability. That this is the First Award Ceremony organized by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University recognizing researchers, makes the occasion all the more special.

2. Universities have always provided the necessary platform for the nurturing of young minds, to shape them as responsible citizens through the routes of learning and consciousness towards their surroundings. I am glad that Ambedkar University’s emphasis on engaged scholarship is being carried forward with immense responsibilityby the professors who are continuously updating their pedagogy by research and engagements with students. 

3. Research is a supremely important functionality of higher education institutions. Dispersal of knowledge has to be constantly accompanied by the creation of new knowledge and novel information about the social cosmos around us. It would be correct to say that research lies up the very base of evolution and if we don’t research and evolve, societies are known to have become moribund. Universities, as they say, are temples of innovation, teachers, the priests and students, the scholars of unexplored knowledge.

4. Basic and fundamental research is the hallmark of human inquisitiveness and ingenuity. It is the fostering and harnessing of this essential human trait that ensures the sustainable continuation of the human race. I am happy that the Ambedkar University takes various initiatives to encourage research, development and broadening of pedagogical and learning philosophy, through schemes like Research Publication Incentive Scheme, Merit Research Fellowships for Students and Seed Money Research Grants for promoting faculty research. Ambedkar University’s roots and vision has always been informed by the valued addition brought through inter and multidisciplinary education and holistic development of the students.

5. I am glad to note that the university has given due attention to translate the research vision and academic goals of the National Education Policy. Adherence to NEP 2020have the potential to provide further augmentation towards the values of holistic education with scientific temper and creative imagination, rightly envisioned by the policy.

6. I take this opportunity to congratulate all the faculty members who have been selected for the research publication awards. I am sure that these first set of achievers are going to inspire many more faculty members of this university to contribute more effectively to the academic world, by bringing out their important research findings through appropriate and prestigious journals of their own fields.

7. I am also very happy to be with the young achievers, i.e. the research scholars who had excelled in their selection process of PhD and bagged fellowships, which support their doctoral studies in the coming years. Assurance of reasonably good fellowships to the young and bright scholars is one of the most enabling pre-condition that a university can offer, along with proper academic mentoring and environment for substantive research. I am glad that all these young and bright scholars are beneficiaries of such a fellowship scheme.

8. I congratulate the Professors and experts who worked towards instituting these important research promotion schemes.

9. Towards the end, I would like to flag that somewhere Indian universities have lagged as far as research is concerned. Not a single researcher in any discipline, be it science or arts, has gained international recognition for their work in Indian universities ever since independence. One is forced to wonder as to why an Indian student who excels academically in Indian institutions till the level of graduation or post graduation, but has to go to universities abroad for advanced studies and research. I would like to leave this thought behind for all of you to ponder upon and find solutions to. I will be forever open as your chancellor to listen to your musings and help you in your way forward to rectify this systemic anomaly that has crept into our higher education eco-system.

10. I would like to conclude by once again conveying my heartfelt congratulations to all here for their contribution to both knowledge building as well as nation building. Our commitment for holistic, inclusive and interdisciplinary education provides the crucial roadmap for shaping the future.

Jai Hind