TGCHE chairman underscores education as key to India’s demographic dividend

Hyderabad: The Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) celebrated the 77th Republic Day with patriotic fervour at its office premises on Monday. Prof V Balakista Reddy, Chairman of TGCHE, unfurled the National Flag in the presence of Vice-Chairmen Prof E Purushotham and Prof SK Mahmood, alongside Secretary Prof Sriram Venkatesh and the staff members of TGCHE and TAFRC.

Addressing the gathering, V Balakista Reddy recalled the immense sacrifices of freedom fighters that paved the way for the independence of the nation. He paid tribute to eminent legal luminaries such as BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Rajendra Prasad, whose vision and leadership in framing the Constitution laid the foundation for a democratic, inclusive, and sovereign nation. He underscored the importance of Fundamental Rights and Duties, noting that the Constitution remains the supreme law of the land under which all national institutions function.

Reflecting on the journey of the country since the 1970s, V Balakista Reddy observed that India has undergone a remarkable transformation—evolving from a developing nation into the world’s third-largest economy and an emerging global exporter. He stressed that India is one of the youngest nations globally, with nearly half of its population below the age of 30. He emphasised that education plays a decisive role in harnessing this demographic dividend effectively.

In this context, he outlined the initiatives undertaken by TGCHE to strengthen the higher education ecosystem in the state. These initiatives, he said, are strictly aligned with national and state development goals such as Viksit Bharat 2047 and Telangana Rising 2047. The Chairman called upon faculty, administrators, and students to uphold constitutional values and contribute meaningfully to nation-building through academic excellence. He reiterated that higher education institutions must focus on skill development, innovation, and research to prepare students as problem-solvers who can drive the economic and social transformation of India. By prioritising research, the council aims to turn the youth into innovators who support the sovereignty and progress of the republic.