‘Promote arts, sports among youth to excel in science, tech’

Madurai: India should promote arts and sports among students and youngsters for it to excel in science and technology, stated former vice-chairman of Tata Steel and chairman of Tata International, B Muthuraman, in Madurai on Thursday. He said that for engineers and scientists to become successful, the curriculum should be framed in such a way as to activate the left and right brain of students equally.

Muthuraman was delivering the chief guest’s address at ‘6T’, a one-day conclave on engineering, science and technology organized by Thiagarajar College of Engineering (TCE) in association with The Times of India as part of the college’s completion of 60 years.

Elaborating on his theory, Muthuraman recalled his own experience of attending a leadership programme several years ago in which elements like interpretation of classical music, western music etc., were included. He found that it was one of the best programmes he had attended.

“These aspects help engineers and scientists grow more holistically. Hence, for the making of a good engineer or a scientist, music, fine arts, sports etc., should also be taught and this is especially important in India,” he said adding, “The curriculum should be framed in such a way that it focusses on activating the right brain as much as the left brain.”

Muthuraman said education in India was focussed on ‘knowledge component’ of a student, adding if there were two students of whom one was extremely knowledgeable, but didn’t have good behavioural traits while the other had good behavioural traits but was not knowledgeable enough, the latter would always have the edge.

“It’s because knowledge can be inculcated any time, but it’s very important for a student or any youngster to develop good behavioural traits,” he said. Mission director of NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission, Ramanan Ramanathan, who delivered the keynote address on ‘Technology Trends shaping the future of Society’, said the education system so far created a “good learning mindset” among school students, but it should now focus on promoting innovation.

“So far, by being mark-oriented we’ve trained the students to be jobseekers. We should now focus on them wanting to become job creators,” he added.

Trustee of TCE, K Hari Thiagarajan, said that the novel event was titled 6T as it focussed on conducting talks and technical sessions on six upcoming technologies with immense potential for the future. TCE chairman and correspondent Karumuttu T Kannan pointed out how the college had been living up to its reputation by maintaining its quality and ethics over the years.

Later in the evening, former director, advance technology and planning, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), and an alumnus of TCE, Nambi Narayanan, delivered a special lecture. He reminisced his days in the college, his early days at Isro and his interactions with the likes of Vikram Sarabhai and A P J Abdul Kalam.