SPEECH OF HON’BLE GOVERNOR PUNJAB AND ADMINISTRATOR, UT CHANDIGARH, SHRI BANWARILAL PUROHIT ON THE OCCASION OF 1ST CONVOCATION OF FDDI AT MOHALI ON NOVEMBER 16, 2022 AT 10.30 AM

Today I am very happy to be a part of this very special moment.

We all like the company of youth. Their energy fills you up; the hopeful smile on their faces infuses a new power in you. Their desire to transform to do something new, is always fueling innovation and we all know that positive desires and innovation are always helpful for our society and our nation to progress, to conquer, to achieve .

Institutions like FDDI are not only providing way for higher education or career prospective but they are opening paths of modern era education. Where, finding employment is not the only objective but the integrated development of society and nation is its main purpose.

I am very happy that today; we are just discussing medical, engineering, management for advancement of our youth, but we are looking for new age prospective like footwear production, fashion designing, leather goods designing, retail merchandising etc.

I am very optimistic about India’s future as institutions like FDDI have provided the new generation an infinite sky of innovative possibilities to fly.

FDDI, dedicated to sustainably develop the rural and urban areas in the field of Fashion , Retail and Footwear, FDDI has strived to nurture skills and talents of students by providing adequate learning environment.

Initially, it started with the intention to fill the void of trained man power in the field of leather and footwear, but it has been serving the industry not just by taking form of a perpetual source of trained man power but also by conducting skill development training program for people from the industry .

Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana contribute a good share in the field of leather and footwear and therefore are an apt candidate for sustainable growth in the sector.

Footwear forms an integral part of dressing, and FDDI, by collaborating with its foreign partners, has insured that industry elsewhere also flourishes, and leather and footwear being an essential accessory as they are, also provide reason for a nation’s prosperity.

Fulfilling the implications of the Government of India behind its establishment , FDDI has been recongised asAn Institution of National Importance for its phenomenal efforts towards nation building in its area of expertise.

It sounds very great, it make me feel proud, not only for the institution but also for its aspirants.

Dear Students,

The Economic history of India is remarkable. India had the largest and most advanced economy for most of the period between the 1st century and 18th century. We remained economically integrated with the world, with high levels of trade and investment.

Even during the Mughal Empire, our nation was the world leader in manufacturing, producing 25% of the world’s industrial output .

But, the advent of British rule changed all. The British economic policies gave them a monopoly over India’s large market and resources. For example, protectionist policies such as high tariffs on Indian textile goods, restricted our sales. Raw cotton was imported without tariffs to British factories which manufactured textiles and sold them back to India.

This kind of economic drain that was practiced,resulted in India’s share of the world economy declining from 24.4% in 1700 to 4.2% at the time of independence in 1947.

The decades after Independence have witnessed the transformation of India into an economic power. The first four decades after independence saw industrialization focused on self-sufficiency and import substitution. Public Sector Units and Joint Sector units took the lead followed by private sector initiatives. The Green Revolution made India self-sufficient in food production.

Subsequently with liberalization and the process of economic reforms there has been faster economic growth with the emergence of new businesses such as IT, IT-services and Telecom. The twenty-first century has seen capital and investments going beyond geographical barriers and flowing into start-ups, some of which have become Billion Dollar enterprises in a few years. Consequently, first generation entrepreneurs with technological talent have developed new business models to serve global needs in both manufacturing and services sectors.

Friends,

We need to create an ecosystem that encourages development of knowledge based entrepreneurship. We need our younger population to become job providers rather than jobseekers, primarily by creating knowledge based organisations.

For this faculty at the Institution or the University level should encourage entrepreneurship among students and we should ensure financial support with mentorship for these entrepreneurs.

It is often observed that, in most cases, there existtwo silos, one calledthe educational institutions and the others called the business or the commercial organizations. These silos have a great pool of highly talented and knowledgeable people. But they rarely exchange views or get an opportunity to sit together and discuss.

We need to break the silos of knowledge and create a more robust mechanism to support learning and entrepreneurship.

India is a “Young Nation”, the average age of the population of about 139 crores is 29 years and more than 3 half of the population is below the age of 25 years.

At least ten million Indian youth enter the country’s workforce each year. The benefits of the demographic dividend can be realized fully when this large workforce finds gainful employment.

For this, we need to make them adequately skilled and impart a high standard of education to them. Education and skilled labour are pre-requisites for development of a sound economy.

Along with skill development, Innovation led growth should be ushered in.

As Dr.R.A Mashelkar, a known scientist said “I” in India must stand for innovation . New knowledge cannot be created without innovative thinking, and the process has to begin from a very young age.

Students need to be trained to think creatively and to strive for improvement by finding new solutions. Recently a lot of dynamism has been seen in the Startup businesses throughout the country .

We as a nation are blessed to have a strong base of traditional knowledge. Traditional knowledge, combined with formal education, has the capacity to create an entirely new set of products and services which can have a far reaching impact on our lives.

A shift towards knowledge based economies helps in creating competitiveness at global level. The definition of competition has undergone a sea change. Today, entrepreneurs from Punjab do not compete with their counterparts from India; they compete with entrepreneurs from all over the world. The distinction between domestic and export markets is becoming blurred.

The question is, are we ready to face this competition? How will we survive in these challenging times? The answer to these questions lies in shifting towards a knowledge economy.

Government of India has approved schemes worth thousands of crores under the Indian Footwear and Leather Development programme.

Be it the Mega Leather Footwear and Accessories Cluster Development, the Brand Promotion of Indian Brands in Leather and Footwear Sector, the Development of Design Studios etc all aim to boost the Indian Footwear & Leather Development and have immense opportunities . Make the most of them!

Dear Students,

Today you are completing one of your very important phase of life. Now you are entering a world which is very fast paced and is a very strict master. Till now you used to learn first then to give exam, but now you will be tested first then get knowledge that where mistake happened .

But , at the same time this world is full of potential for its quick and consistent learners . With your degrees, you have a dual responsibility. You have to live up to your own as well as your parents expectations and also fulfil your duties towards the society and the country with full dedication, honesty and diligence.

Remember that those people who bring glory to their family, their society, their country and are helpful in their progress and contribute to their prestige, they are Not Some Special kind of people or some privileged persons, they are like one of you. Likewise, many of you will write history for your parents, teachers, and your country one day.

Looking at my age, you may consider me as your guardian, so it is my wish that all of you do something that may be set as an example for others to follow .

Remember, that for any educational institution its students are is true and honest brand Ambassadors. So the growth of your organisation lies in your evolvement. The journey is going to be tough but I know you can and will make a mark in life.

I am very delighted to be with you on the occasion of the First Convocation of FDDI, Chandigarh.

Convocations are primarily, the occasions to celebrate the success of graduating students. I congratulate all the students who have received degrees today. I am confident that all the new graduates will use the knowledge and skills they have acquired in this institution for the benefit of our society and our country as a whole.

My best wishes to all of you, my heartfelt blessings. May you all prosper, be happy and be healthy.

Thank you,

Jai Hind.