Bangalore, Dec. 14 : The Vice-President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, on Sunday stressed the need for inspiring teaching and creating role models.

Speaking after releasing the Indian Institute of Science (IIS) centenary commemorative postal stamp in Bangalore, Ansari said: "There seems to be a disconnect at two levels between senior teachers and undergraduates and between teaching and researchers. The net result is that the young science student is deprived of contact with sources of inspiration that may fire his/her imagination."

Taking serious note of the methodology of science teaching in the country, Ansari said that nearly fifty per cent of school students fail in mathematics and science.

"What is needed is a culture of experiment-based learning. This would involve re-training of teachers," he stressed.

Mentioning about the posts, which are vacant in universities across the country he said: "high level of vacancies in universities is a major problem"

Noting a sample survey of 47 universities conducted by the University Grants Commission(UGC), Ansari stated that, "for the academic year 2007-08, the overall vacancy level is 51 per cent."

"The situation is particularly depressing in state universities where almost 90 per cent of students are enrolled. Some academic administrators attribute this, in part, to the poor quality of candidates," he added.

Ansari also expressed that India''s performance in the area of innovations and patents is inadequate.

"Is this due to the absence of adequate links between research institutions and industry? Does our industry itself spend enough on R (research)and D(development)?," he asked.

"India will only be able to sustain technological advancement by capacity building in science, which is imperative for national development," the Vice-President opined.(ANI)