8/28/2016

Universitiesmustbebastionsoffreespeechandexpressions:President|indianews|HindustanTimes

Universitiesmustbebastionsoffreespeechandexpressions:
President
ArunKumar,HindustanTimes,Rajgir |Updated:Aug27,201622:40IST

PresidentPranabMukherjeewithBiharGovernorRamnathKovindandAmartyaSenatthefoundationlaying
ceremonyoftheNalandaUniversityatRajgirinNalandadistrictofBiharonSaturday.(PTI)

PresidentPranabMukherjeeonSaturdaysaiduniversitiesandinstitutionsofhigherlearning
mustbebastionsoffreespeechandexpressionanddebatesshouldbeencouraged.
Universitiesandinstitutesofhigherlearningarethebestforumfordebates,discussions,free
exchangeofviews...suchatmosphereshouldbeencouraged,Mukherjeesaidatthefirst
convocationofNalandaUniversity,afterlayingthefoundationstoneforthefirstphaseof
constructionworkonthecampusandawardingdegreesinRajgir,around80kmssoutheastof
Patna.
HesaidmodernNalandaUniversity(NU)should,liketheancientone,betheplaceforfree
exchangeofideasandviewpoints,keepingasideallnarrowness,andencourageopendebateand
discussion.
Thereshouldbenoroomforintolerance,prejudiceandhatredwithinthespaceofthisnew
institution,headded.
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8/28/2016

Universitiesmustbebastionsoffreespeechandexpressions:President|indianews|HindustanTimes

MukherjeesaidancientNalandawasameltingpointofcivilizations,aconfluenceoffour
historictraditionsIndian,Greek,PersianandChineseandthemodernoneneededtokeepup
therichtradition.
Referringtothebook'ArgumentativeIndia'byNobellaureateandfoundingNUchancellorProf
AmartyaSen,whowasalsopresent,Mukherjeesaid,"Hehaswrittenhowhistoryandtraditions
havealwayscelebratedtheargumentativeIndian.Itcannotbedoneawaywith,asitispartof
ourlifeandethos.ThelessonformodernNalandaistoensurethatthegreattraditionfindsnew
lifeandvigourwithinitsprecincts."
ThePresidentsaiduniversitiesmustbebastionsoffreespeechandexpression,providingroom
fordiverseandconflictingschoolsofthought."Theymustbeaflagbearerforthecoexistence
ofmultipleviews,thoughtsandphilosophies,"headded.
Pranab,whowasinvolvedwithNUduringitsgestationstageasIndia'sforeignminister,saidhe
wasprivilegednotonlytodelivertheaddressatthefirstconvocationbutalsobeatthesiteof
his'dreamproject."ItisaproudmomentformeastheideathatrevivedNUtookshapeduring
mytenureinthesouthblock,"headded.
Maintaining,thatinthesphereofhighereducation,Indiawasamagnetforworldscholarsinthe
pastwithinstitutionslikeNalanda,Takshshila,Vikramshila,Vallabhi,SomapuraandOdantpuri,
hesaid,"Sadly,India'smoderndayuniversitiesareyettoreachthetoppositioninworld
rankings.Wemustworktowardsregainingthegloryofthepast.Itwasonlyduetomypersistent
effortsthatsomeoftheuniversitiesfiguredinthetop200in2015,"herecalled.
DescribingNalandaUniversityasasymbolofAsianresurgence,hesaidthe21stcenturywas
expectedtobean"Asiancentury'."Atsuchatime,institutionsofknowledgelikeNalandahave
criticalimportance.ItiscriticaltoIndia's'ActEast'policy,"headded.
Healsohadawordofpraiseforthe'netzero'conceptatNUcampusandsaiditcouldbea
modelforotheruniversitycampuses,keepingasideloftyideas."Byadoptinganetzeroenergy
goal,theuniversityhasattemptedtolinkitshistoricallegacywithurgentcontemporaryissuesof
environmentsustainability."
TheNUcampusisbeingplannedinwaythatitshallbeselfreliantsofarasdemandofenergy,
waterandothernaturalresourcesareconcerned.Theseneedsshallbemetfrominternal
arrangement.Thetotalenergyrequirementisproposedtobemetthroughrenewablesources
onlywhichwouldbeacombinationofsolarphotovoltaicpanelsandbiomass.
"Today,theentirehumanityisconfrontedwiththechallengeofsavingtheworld.Willwebe
abletogivethecominggenerationstheworldthatweinherited?Internationalconferencesmay
deliberateonfixingresponsibilityforenvironmentaldegradation,butwealsohavetofacethe
consequencesofwantondestructionofMotherEarth.Wecanhavesatisfactionfindingfaults
andsayingtheresponsibilitylieselsewhere,butthepenaltiesarefortheentirehumanity,"he
added.
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Universitiesmustbebastionsoffreespeechandexpressions:President|indianews|HindustanTimes

QuotingMahatmaGandhi,hesaid:"MotherEarthhasenoughresourcestomeettheneedsofits
children,butnotgreedofveryfew.Itisthegreedofafewthathascreatedthissituation."
Forthefirstbatchstudents,hehadaspecialmessage."Enteringreallifeoutsidethiscampus,
youwillfaceaseaofchallengesandyouhavetohandlethem,withoutthefosteringcareofyour
almamater.Butyouneednotfeelnervouswiththeknowledgeandskillsyouhaveacquired
here,"headded.
BihargovernorRamNathKovind,chiefministerNitishKumar,chancellorGeorgeYeo,vice
chancellorGopaSabharwalandDrAmartyaSenalsospokeontheoccasion.

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