Everyone should receive higher education, says VIT Chancellor Viswanathan

VIT Chancellor G Viswanathan emphasised the need to create a society where everyone has access to higher education, stating that India can only progress if its villages, where 70% of the population resides, develop alongside cities. He made these remarks at the National Service Project camp held in Anicut.

The VIT National Welfare Project Special Camp was conducted at Anicut the day before yesterday. The event was presided over by VIT Chancellor G Viswanathan. Several dignitaries, including District Panchayat Committee Chairman M Babu, Union Committee Chairmen Bhaskaran, Venkatesan, Kumara Pandian, and Panchayat Chairman Senthilkumar, delivered felicitation addresses. VIT National Welfare Project Officer Gayathri welcomed the gathering, while NSS Coordinator Jayakrishnan presented the camp's activity report. MLA AP Nandakumar attended as the special guest.

Inaugurating the camp, Chancellor Viswanathan expressed his happiness that the National Welfare Project Camp was being held in Anicut constituency this year. He shared a personal connection to the area, recalling that in 1980, former Chief Minister MGR had chosen this constituency for him. He further mentioned that when he served as an MLA from Anicut in 1984, VIT University started with just 150 students.

Today, the university has grown significantly, with over one lakh students studying across its four campuses in Vellore, Chennai, Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). He also noted that students from 73 countries come to VIT for higher education, making it a matter of pride for Vellore.

"Tamil Nadu should serve as a model for India, and Vellore district should be a guide for Tamil Nadu. My vision is for Anicut to become a model unit in this development process," he said.

Viswanathan highlighted that India’s progress depends on the development of its villages. While some progress has been made, he stressed the need for villages to compete with big cities in terms of development. He praised the Chief Minister’s efforts in improving the economy of his district and noted that through the VIT Foundation, financial assistance has been provided to 9,400 underprivileged students.

He pointed out that northern districts of Tamil Nadu are lagging in education and emphasised that education is crucial for national development. "If education flourishes, India will become a developed nation," he said.

As agriculture remains a primary occupation, VIT has introduced agricultural education programs. Viswanathan also addressed the issue of money-based voting, stating that education is necessary to bring awareness and change this mindset.

He announced that Rs.10.50 crore in educational scholarships has been provided to poor students and expressed his ambition to ensure that no one in the four districts of Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet, and Tiruvannamalai is deprived of higher education.

He concluded by congratulating MLA Nandakumar for his efforts in Anicut constituency.

The event saw participation from District Councilor Krishnan Menon, Panchayat Presidents Suresh, Durai Babu, Mani, and several others.