President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has called for an increase in the enrolment ratio of people receiving higher education. Patil said that the country should cater to the educational requirements of its predominantly young population. She urged that after universalisation of primary education, it was time to work in the same direction for secondary education as well.

“There is now universalisation of primary education. We hope to move forward in this direction for secondary education as well. However our ultimate aim is to increase the enrolment ratio people receiving higher education. We need to expand our educational infrastructure for that. Distance education was the best mode and offered a great opportunity to those already in employment to upgrade their knowledge base so that they could effectively contribute to increasing the production levels of their respective organisations.

“Distance education can even serve the national development agenda by reaching out to farmers and health workers to provide them information that is relevant for them. There is a need for the government and the universities to act in concern, to work on socially relevant issues and to reach out to a broad segment of the society. Education should impart values to the youth that makes them sensitive to fellow human beings and the environment around them. It is a value system that can prepare the younger generation to become responsible citizens. Values provide an anchor in life as well as an ability to take decisions however difficult,” she said.

Patil also called for an education system that should look at the holistic development of the youth and instill moral values in them.