PANAJI
The Goa University Chancellor PS Sreedharan Pillai has called for immediate filling up of numerous vacant posts as 85 posts are lying vacant, largely attributed to the mandatory requirements of Konkani and domicile for aspiring candidates.
The varsity has managed to fill only 16 out of a total 101 posts advertised over the last three years. While the Chancellor, speaking at the 35th Convocation Ceremony of Goa University, refrained from directly referencing these requirements -- largely debated in the education sector, he stated that Goa includes people from all over the country, not just Goans.
"Our university should prioritize Goans in all fields because Goa is for Goans. However, Goa is also for everyone in this country," Pillai remarked.
In the same breath, he expressed concern over the lack of qualified staff in many departments, resulting in rising vacancies. “In many departments, properly educationally trained or qualified persons do not exist which is why these posts are vacant. Without any hesitation, I would like to say, fill such posts at the earliest," he urged.
Pillai also emphasized the importance of a holistic education that goes beyond academics while highlighting the need for innovation and describing it as essential for the country's progress.
“Knowledge is one of the important aspects achieved through education. I am not only referring to academic education… there are other types as well… innovation is the need of the hour and finally, unity among the people. Our education system is much committed to this aspect,” he opined.
The event also saw the presence of Chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation Dr S Somanath, who was conferred with an honorary doctorate.
Addressing students and the faculty, Somanath emphasized the importance of enhancing the research environment, stating that universities should not only focus on producing graduates but also prioritize the generation of new knowledge through active research efforts.
“As a university, the research environment needs to be enhanced. University is not a place to produce just graduates, but also a place to produce new knowledge. It is through research alone that new knowledge is created. The connect with industry, other academic establishments and laboratories in India needs to be enhanced. This is possible by the active involvement of the faculty only. They must find some time beyond academic activities for connecting to these stakeholders to create an environment of research, innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.
The ISRO chief also suggested that the university is supposed to address the problems faced by the society in its locality and find the implement solutions. As such, it needs to work with the local government and the State.
Meanwhile, the Chancellor spoke about the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which has seen widespread reaction from across the country.
Vice Chancellor Harilal Menon added that GU was among the early movers in implementing the NEP 2020 on campus with effect from 2022-23, and across all affiliated colleges since the academic year 2023-24. At GU, he suggested that students be equipped with the skills required for employment in India and across the world.
As many as 16,499 students received their graduation degrees, 1909 post-graduation, 57 students their diplomas, 56 students being festooned with their doctoral degrees across academic years 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively.
