Jaipur, March 17 Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde said on Tuesday that universities play a crucial role in making India self-reliant in the face of growing global competition.
Addressing the inaugural session of the West Zone Vice Chancellors' Meet 2025-26, organized by the Association of Indian Universities at Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth in Udaipur, he said that education is not only a means of knowledge but also a strong foundation for nation-building.
He said that universities should promote indigenous thinking and innovation to help India establish a distinct global identity.
"In today's competitive world, the role of universities is extremely important in making India self-reliant," Bagde said.
The two-day conference is being attended by vice chancellors from universities across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
The governor emphasized that ideas such as technological nationalism and economic patriotism must be translated into action, and called upon universities to focus on research, innovation, and skill development to enable youth to generate employment.
He said that the National Education Policy aims to integrate Indian values with modern technology to achieve the goal of a self-reliant India.
Emphasizing that students should remain at the centre of all academic planning, Bagde said that policies and programmes must be designed with their overall development in mind.
Bagde also highlighted India's rich knowledge tradition and said that the new education policy seeks to revive its past glory by focusing on holistic development rather than limiting students to textbooks.
Minister of State for Public Works and Women and Child Development Manju Baghmar and economist Gaurav Vallabh were also present at the event, officials said.