Alumni must play bigger role in IIT’s development: Javadekar

Kharagpur, Aug 5 (IANS) Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday urged the alumni to play "bigger" role in overall development of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

"Alumni is your biggest strength. They must play bigger role in day to day management and must contribute in a big way to the overall development of the institute," he conveyed to the IIT students via a video message during the 63rd Annual Convocation.

He maintained that government is "not shirking its responsibility" but argued there is a place for alumni and private sector to contribute to increased expenditure in education.

"When we talk about employing six per cent of GDP in education, let me also remind, every paisa of GDP is not in government treasury. It's in private pockets too. It's in industry also," said Javadekar.

"Right from agriculture to industry to service sector, everybody is creating their GDP. Government receives only tax part of it," he added.

Javadekar said the private sector investment must also be accounted for in addition to government investment to increase education spending.

"If we take the central government and if the state governments... all together, its a huge contribution by government (budget point of view). There is a place for private investment and alumni contribution and a place for community support to education," he added.