Date:14/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/14/stories/2008111458580300.htm

Tamil Nadu

“Education of women pays more dividends to society”

Staff Reporter

18th convocation of Mother Teresa Women’s University

Keep it up: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala handing over a degree certificate to his grand daughter and university rank holder Ayesha Sandhu, at the 18th convocation of Mother Teresa Women’s University in Kodaikanal on Thursday.

KODAIKANAL: Educating girl child of values and goodness is very vital to build a civilisation where peace and prosperity co-exist. Empowering women with the education of universal goodness is one way to carve a civilisation that is free of human conflicts. What the world needs today is an educational system that is rooted in the best of every culture - both ancient and modern, according to T. Ramaswamy, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

He was delivering the 18th convocation address at Mother Teresa Women’s University held here on Thursday.

The role of educational system was often calibrated with its success rate in job market. But its role was not limited to such success. Education was essentially a process of preparing the mind and life and not only for living. When the focus of learning was truth and goodness, education assumed the character of universality, he added. “Educating women pays more dividends to society than educating men.”

Stating that evil were wrought owing to inadequate human bondages, Dr. Ramaswamy said that terrorism was a result of lack of human sensitivity.

Educated women bore an overbearing potential to impart sensitivity in the unprepared minds of youth. Human bonding was one sure way of overcoming challenges of modern world, which could be accomplished by women.

Education to women has more values for human goodness than those of men. Nature has made girl a symbol of integration and designed her most suited for seeking goodness. Let not man make them carriers of divisions, he said. “While value of greatness, as taught by Western civilisation is important, let the ancient value system of universal goodness prevail over momentary greatness. The daughters will show the way for world to come.”

In her welcome address, Vice-Chancellor Aruna Sivakami Ananthakrishnan said that the university needed to operate more extension centres, one in each district to help women, who aspired for higher studies.

There were plans to offer specially-designed inter-disciplinary courses for women to get benefits of theoretical and practical aspects of emerging job market.

Governor Surjit Singh Barnala presided over the function.

Degrees and diplomas were awarded to 6,278 students including 28 rank holders and Ayesha Sindu, grand daughter of Dr. Barnala.