The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the centenary celebrations of University of Mysore today at Mysore. Speaking on the occasion, the President recalled that University of Mysore was founded in 1916 under the patronage of 'Rajrishi' Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar with the able assistance of Diwan Sir M. Visvesvaraya. It's destiny has been shaped by stalwarts like the first Vice Chancellor Shri H.V. Nanjundayya, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Dr. Brajendranath Seal, Dr. C.R. Reddy, Prof Thomas Denham, Prof A.R. Wadia, Prof M. Hiriyanna, Dr. K.V. Puttappa (Kuvempu) and Dr. D. Javare Gowda. Others who followed have kept the flag of this institution flying high, building on the rich legacy and moving forward with purposive action.
The President said that India with two-third of her 1.25 billion people below 35 years of age can become one of the front ranking nations in the world. To unleash the potential of her energetic youth, a world-class educational system is necessary. Though India’s higher education system is the second largest in the world, the enrolment rate at 20 percent is not enough to improve future prospects of the youth or harness opportunities in a knowledge intensive world. Many bright scholars go abroad for higher studies for want of good quality institutions in our country. The President said that the Indian universities must promote scientific temper amongst students. A way forward could be to give wings to the ideas of students and grassroot innovators. The initiative of setting up Innovation Clubs taken up in several Central Universities could be replicated by others. It will act as a platform where novel ideas are nurtured and innovators mentored to develop new products. He urged University of Mysore to spearhead an innovation movement in the region.