Gulbarga (Karnataka), Jan. 7 : India must maintain its position as a powerhouse of knowledge, said the President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, on Wednesday.

In an address delivered here on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the Hyderabad Karnataka Education Society, Patil said: "The Hyderabad Karnataka Education Society has traveled this distance with great commitment and devotion to academic values. There is a Sanskrit shloka: which means, `Knowledge is the only power''.This should be our inspiration in this century of "knowledge power".

"India has emerged as a leader in the global knowledge economy and we have to strive to maintain this position," she added.

She further went on to say that educational institutions have a primary role in this endeavour.

"Our youth are eagerly seeking avenues of education and employment. There can be no better satisfaction, than knowing that facilities have been made available to them for education," she said.

She said that the city of Gulbarga, once the capital of the Bahamani Kingdom, has in recent times, become well known as an education hub of this region.

She said the Hyderabad Karnataka Education Society was born out of a feeling of deep commitment to society and a vision to provide higher education to the youth of this region.

She praised the society for establishing more than 40 educational institutions in not only Gulbarga district, but also surrounding districts, talukas and villages.

"It is commendable, that along with education facilities, the Society also created enabling infrastructure in the form of hostels at some places for students. This has provided the opportunity, for many who live in far off places to receive education, in this locality. Its care and concern is not just limited to the educational sphere, but extends to caring for those needing medical treatment, through the Basaveshwara and Sangameshwara Hospitals," she said.

"I am glad that the Society has contributed to providing higher education facilities to women, through the establishment of a Women''s College, a Women''s Polytechnic and High Schools for girls. I commend you and appreciate your work. Women''s education has a very important place in the overall development of the nation. It not only helps in the development of half the human resource, but by also making a visible improvement in the development of the next generation," she said.

"The youth and the students of today will be architects of the India of tomorrow. Great hopes are pinned on them. They are to carry the country forward to take its place as one of the fastest growing and the largest economies of the world," Patil said.

She also called for paying more attention to India''s low employability ratio.

"There is a mismatch between the skills that our graduates possess and talents that are needed in the country. This gap needs to be bridged. It is very important for educational institutions to constantly upgrade their training methodologies and curriculum. Interaction between the industry, business and academic institutions would be useful in framing a syllabus that is contemporary and relevant. Development of vocational and entrepreneurial skills is important for creating self employment options," she opined.

According to a recent study not more than 39 percent engineering graduates in India are employable, which means that many engineering graduates face difficulty in finding suitable employment and many industries do not get skilled human resource required for jobs.

The path of progress on which India is moving ahead, can take a faster trajectory if, every State, every district and every taluka is able to create a sustainable development paradigm, she concluded. (ANI)