Thursday, October 19, 2006
An occasion to think forward: Statesman
An occasion to think forward
Statesman News Service
ROURKELA, Oct. 19: ‘It is a happy occasion that so many graduates are going out to serve the industry and the society. These young people should remember that India has high expectations in them. They have to fulfill these by working towards eradication of poverty and fulfillment of basic human needs, said Professor SK Dube, the director of IIT Kharagpur, while addressing the 2nd convocation of Biju Patnaik University of Technology here today.
Prof. Dube said IIT Khargpur, has an extension centre in Bhubaneswar and if plans go right, very soon Bhubaneswar will have a full fledged 5,000 student strong campus. Prof. Dube expressed happiness over the quality of UG and PG teaching, laboratory development as well as research.
Prof. Dube said Orissa is now poised for a quantum jump. There will be many resultant issues dealing with waste management, waste utilisation and environment connected with industrialisation. These have to be dealt with using strong scientific knowledge base. “
The cooperation with BPUT,’ he said, and with Orissa could be utilised in identifying solutions to these problems. He said Orissa has underdeveloped areas in KBK districts and problems in these areas demand critical attention from scientists and technologists.
Governor of Orissa and chancellor of Universities, Mr Rameswar Thakur, presiding over the convocation said although Orissa is endowed with abundant natural resources, it is yet to achieve the desired development and progress. Forty-eight per cent people live below the poverty line. However, quoting Bharat Ratna Visveswaraya, Thakur said poverty is a disease and is curable like any disease, the real causes of poverty are ignorance, dependence, inefficiency, lack of spirit of enterprise, etc.” With courage, conviction and confidence, these hurdles can be overcome.”
