JOIN USThe University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked the varsities to invite the medal winners at the 17th Asian Games to their campuses and facilitate their interaction with the students.
This comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a function organised to felicitate these champions here in October, suggested that universities should invite successful sportspersons for interaction with their students so that they get inspiration to take part in sports.
“I am going to suggest to our Human Resource Development Ministry that those sportspersons who could speak should be taken to universities. When a successful sportsperson shares his story with students, it comes as a great help to them,” Modi had said while addressing the medal winners of the 17th Asian Games, 2014.
Referring to the prime minister’s wish, the higher education regulator wrote a letter to vice chancellors of all universities on December 18, directing them to invite 17th Asian Games champions of India to their campuses for interaction with students.
“I am writing this letter to request your esteemed institutions to promote sports/games among the students. In this endeavour, inviting medal winners to your campus to interact with the student community can play a major role in nurturing the culture of sports, the benefits from which are immeasurable,” UGC secretary Jaspalo S Sandhu stated. He also asked the varsity heads to inform the commission about the acton taken by them in this regard “within one month”.
“It is an admitted fact that sports play a major role in shaping the character of the student community. It not only helps them to keep their body fit and healthy but also trains them to focus their mind and teach them the art of handling pressure. It is an activity where only talent emerges as the winner and, as such, it inculcates discipline, perseverance and the spirit of competition among them,” he added.