Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday asked universities in the country to reform, perform and transform in order to become centres of excellence.Addressing students and faculty of Panjab University (PU) at its 67th Convocation here, Naidu said that universities need to evolve and change according to the need of the changing times.He urged students to master the mother language and to work hard to aim high to achieve heights.He added that there is no substitute for ethics and value system. He urged the youth for "will, skill and kill using the right means of communication that technology has provided" us to facilitate social harmony and to cultivate a culture of healthy and civilised discussion on many of the pressing problems.
Appreciating the move by PU to honour some of the outstanding Indian scientists, doctors, writers, educationists and leaders from industry, Naidu pointed out that many illustrious leaders and makers of the nation in many fields have been associated with the university.Stressing on the importance of each discipline in the field of education, Naidu said that the division between the areas of science and humanities is an artificial one and made for convenience sake.Naidu conferred Honoris Causa degrees on three eminent persons -- Prof. M.M. Sharma (D.Sc.), Prof. Sir Tejinder Singh Virdee (D.Sc.) and former Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar (LLD).He also conferred the Khel Ratna Award to legendary athlete Milkha Singh, Gian Rattan Award to well-known art historian Prof. B.N. Goswamy and Udyog Rattan Award to leading industrialist Sunil Kant Munjal.