Research into subjects like clean energy, sustainable water supply can transform lives, says earth sciences centre chief

Research continued to be a neglected domain in higher education structure, especially, in many State government-run universities, N.V. Chalapathi Rao, Director, National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, has said.

Research continued to be a neglected domain in higher education structure, especially, in many State government-run universities, N.V. Chalapathi Rao, Director, National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, has said.

Mr. Rao was delivering the 31st convocation address at the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University here on Saturday.

He said that successful research programmes can make a difference to the lives of people. He said that research in the fields of renewable energy, food, climate change, environment, drinking and irrigation water and sanitation was bound to benefit common man.

The universities should serve as the nursery for creative pursuits and teachers and students should aim to tackle such research frontiers which can serve the common man and society.

The modern universities in the country should strive to ensure cross fertilisation of ideas and thoughts across disciplines such as humanities, science, languages, and others. The universities, Prof. Chalapathi Rao said, was not only made of bricks or cements or buildings, but made of individuals, who brought in name and fame.

He appealed to the youth to contribute wholeheartedly towards the success of the Viksit Bharat 2047 and said that the country’s ambitious vision to transform it into a developed superpower by the centenary year of Independence were vested upon with them.

The youth, given their largest demographic share, were expected to be actively engaged in the transformative development agenda. The successful graduants should bring home laurels by making the country on top of the globe in education, which the nation enjoyed some 300 years ago.