13 November, 2024; In a recent address during the foundation day celebration at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) in Awantipora, Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha spoke passionately about India’s historical economic strength and the potential role of premier institutions in building a developed and prosperous India. His remarks underscored the importance of strengthening educational institutions to meet the country’s development goals and make India a leader on the global economic stage.
LG Sinha highlighted India’s influential role in the global economy during historical periods, drawing attention to India’s impressive contribution to the world’s GDP in the past. “In the eleventh century, our contribution to the world GDP was about 33 percent,” he remarked. During that time, countries that are now considered developed and economically advanced had a mere 0.5 percent contribution to the global GDP. He further noted that although India’s share started to decline by the fifteenth century, the country still contributed around 28-29 percent to the global GDP.
With this historical context, LG Sinha emphasized India’s vision to emerge as a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) and eventually become the world’s largest economy. To realize this ambition, he emphasized the need to uplift and support premier educational institutions that foster innovation, knowledge, and excellence. He noted the rapid progress of the Islamic University of Science and Technology, which, despite being a relatively young institution at 19 years, has already ranked among the top four institutions. This achievement, he said, bodes well for its future, and he expressed confidence that IUST could become one of the best institutes in India in the coming years.
The Lieutenant Governor’s speech at IUST underscored the government’s commitment to strengthening the educational ecosystem as a foundation for India’s socio-economic advancement. By encouraging young institutions to rise and compete at the highest levels, LG Sinha emphasized that India can cultivate a robust knowledge base and skilled workforce, essential for achieving the vision of a developed and prosperous nation.
