MBBS graduates must serve in Rural areas for at least two years

    Chennai. The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu appealed all State Governments to make mother tongue a mandatory subject at least up to high school level. Delivers 11th Convocation address at Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, in Chennai today. 

    The Vice President said that a child can grasp and understand better in his or her own mother tongue than any other language. He further said that a child will be able to communicate and articulate her thoughts effectively in her native language. 

   We can usually express our thoughts much better in our mother language, he added.The Vice President said that we live in a multicultural and multilingual world. He further said since language and culture are intertwined, there is an absolute need to strengthen our indigenous languages including the many languages spoken by many tribal groups in our country. Language is the lifeline of a culture and in a way defines the larger social milieu in which a society lives, he added. 

    The Vice President said that lifes of the great people must be a part of History carriculum for all students including medical students and a country which forgets its history and culture will never prosper. He further said that one must remember the past and plan for the future and move accordingly. We have to revert back to our roots, we have to know our culture, he added. 

    The Vice President said that the private sector must play a bigger role in developing health infra. He further said that the society has given a lot to the medical students and they must give back to the society by way of serving the rural population by working at least for two years in rural areas. There is an acute shortage of doctors as also healthcare facilities in the rural area and drastic changes must be made to make healthcare accessible to everyone, he added.The Vice President said Today is a red letter for all the students, who are receiving their degrees. You are witnessing a major milestone in your career and I would like to congratulate all those who are graduating, their parents and the faculty on this occasion.

      The Vice President said Dear students, a world of opportunities and challenges awaits you all as you bid adieu to this campus to start a new innings. No doubt, you will be missing your friends and the faculty, but the happy times you have spent here will always remain etched in your memory.The Vice President said I would like to compliment Dr. N.M. Veeraiyan, the Founder Chancellor of Saveetha University for having contributed to the cause of this university which is providing quality education through a multitude of academic programmes. I am told that students are drawn from all over India and abroad, representing different sections. It makes Saveetha Institute one of the India’s most ethnically diverse learning centres.

   The Vice President said I am told that the university also has touched many lives through community service, particularly in health care. I am also informed that the university has adopted numerous innovations that created a unique platform of learner-centric education. I am glad to know that the campus is part of the National Knowledge Network that provides this university with a greater bandwidth for use.

    The Vice President said with the advent of the globally competitive educational environment, I strongly feel that every student should have adequate opportunities to gain knowledge, technical skills, self-reliance, and also a sense of responsibility as a fellow citizen. This can be better accomplished by providing quality academic programmes and exposing students to real life situations.

   The Vice President said In today’s environment, students have to actively participate in the learning process with the teachers acting more as facilitators rather than textbook-type instructors. The instruction must be so designed as to make the students learn life-skills and knowledge. In fact, it has be to a continuous learning process in the medical field as the doctors need to keep themselves constantly updated with the latest knowledge and techniques.

   The Vice President said I have observed that when students are empowered, they take ownership, develop passion and display dedication and commitment to pursue their academic goals. This is the reason why the Government of India has taken radical initiatives, including promotion of ‘Value-Based Education’.

    The Vice President said In its pursuit of this vision, the government has initiated some highly innovative programmes, including Digital India, Skill India and Clean India, which are expected to spur the national growth.

  The Vice President said Though, we have a long way to go to realise the fullest potential of our educational initiatives, India has remarkably transformed its higher education landscape for the last two decades. As a result, India has not only bettered its figures on enrolment but has dramatically enhanced its learning outcomes. India has 70 million student population; a force to reckon with. Among them are potential thought leaders, researchers, academicians, entrepreneurs and executives.

   The Vice President said India’s post-secondary education system is increasingly recognized as one of the best in the world. India has emerged as a regional hub of education and attracts global learners from all over the world. Students, faculty and employers now flock to India to learn, teach and recruit as India dons the mantle of a higher education leader and emerges as the role model for delivering high-quality education to vast numbers at affordable cost. 

  The Vice President said India is one of the largest providers of global talent, with one in four who graduate in the world being a product of the Indian system. Tamil Nadu has performed remarkably well in the area of education and has emerged as the leader in the country in terms of Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education.

     The Vice President said Dear students, now I would like to flag an issue that is close to my heart. As you all are aware, there is an acute shortage of doctors as also healthcare facilities in the rural areas. India has less than one doctor for every 1,000 population, which is less than the WHO standard. This situation needs to be remedied. I feel that it should be made mandatory for MBBS graduates to work for at least two years in rural areas.