<p class="title">NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said though expansion of education has taken place in Maharashtra, adequate efforts were not made to elevate the quality of teaching.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Addressing an event on renaming of two schools here, Pawar said Maharashtra has been at the forefront in the education sector in the country.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I have been at the helm of several educational institutes but I have experienced that we all expanded education in the state but no efforts were taken to elevate the quality," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">To improve quality of education is a challenge before everybody and in the coming years, there is a need to create students who can face tough situations in their lives, the former Union minister said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"In all this process, the teacher's role is very important," Pawar said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pawar said nowadays 100 per cent results are common in schools.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"As far as SSC results are concerned, 92, 94 per cent results are coming. Several students get 90, 92 or 95 per cent marks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It is a good thing and matter of happiness to see students securing such high mars but at the same time there is a need to see whether there has been any change in the marks giving system," the former chief minister said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Going down the memory lane, Pawar (79) recalled his college days and long association with Poonawalla.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We took five years to complete a four-year course as we were interested in other fields than studies but we went on earn names in the country and also outside," the veteran politician said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Rajya Sabha MP praised Poonawalla for his contribution to the health sector and vaccine manufacturing.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Pune-based Serum Institute of India was founded in 1966 by Poonawalla with the aim of manufacturing life-saving immuno-biologicals (vaccines), which were in shortage in the country and imported at high prices.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If three children take birth in the world, two of them are administered with vaccines manufactured at Serum Institute," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pawar said when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to attend a programme at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune in 2016, he enquired about Serum Institute.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He expressed his desire to visit the institute to me and after the programme, he paid a visit to Serum Institute," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those who are at high positions and whenever they are in Pune, they make sure to visit Serum Institute, Pawar said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Today they are going to Serum. I expect that they should feel like visiting the Pune University also," the NCP leader said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Speaking on the occasion, Poonawalla expressed his wish to see Pawar becoming the prime minister.</p>
<p class="title">NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said though expansion of education has taken place in Maharashtra, adequate efforts were not made to elevate the quality of teaching.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Addressing an event on renaming of two schools here, Pawar said Maharashtra has been at the forefront in the education sector in the country.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I have been at the helm of several educational institutes but I have experienced that we all expanded education in the state but no efforts were taken to elevate the quality," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">To improve quality of education is a challenge before everybody and in the coming years, there is a need to create students who can face tough situations in their lives, the former Union minister said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"In all this process, the teacher's role is very important," Pawar said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pawar said nowadays 100 per cent results are common in schools.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"As far as SSC results are concerned, 92, 94 per cent results are coming. Several students get 90, 92 or 95 per cent marks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It is a good thing and matter of happiness to see students securing such high mars but at the same time there is a need to see whether there has been any change in the marks giving system," the former chief minister said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Going down the memory lane, Pawar (79) recalled his college days and long association with Poonawalla.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We took five years to complete a four-year course as we were interested in other fields than studies but we went on earn names in the country and also outside," the veteran politician said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Rajya Sabha MP praised Poonawalla for his contribution to the health sector and vaccine manufacturing.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Pune-based Serum Institute of India was founded in 1966 by Poonawalla with the aim of manufacturing life-saving immuno-biologicals (vaccines), which were in shortage in the country and imported at high prices.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If three children take birth in the world, two of them are administered with vaccines manufactured at Serum Institute," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pawar said when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to attend a programme at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune in 2016, he enquired about Serum Institute.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He expressed his desire to visit the institute to me and after the programme, he paid a visit to Serum Institute," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those who are at high positions and whenever they are in Pune, they make sure to visit Serum Institute, Pawar said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Today they are going to Serum. I expect that they should feel like visiting the Pune University also," the NCP leader said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Speaking on the occasion, Poonawalla expressed his wish to see Pawar becoming the prime minister.</p>