HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 8: Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the 34th Foundation Day celebration of Sonapur College on Thursday. On the occasion, he urged the teaching staff to take special steps to hone the innovative abilities of the students. The chief minister also highlighted that Sonapur College is known for its courses, which have the potential to stimulate the entrepreneurial skills of the students. He said that the Department of Travel and Tourism Management, the Department of Retail Management and IT, and the Department of Theatre and Stage Craft have the potential to stir the entrepreneurial acumen of the students and make them job creators instead of job seekers.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasised that innovation is crucial for propelling Assam to new heights of growth. He encouraged the teachers to take special care to stimulate students’ innovative ideas and develop their talents.
Addressing the students at the 34th Foundation Day celebration of Sonapur College at Sonapur on Thursday, chief minister Sarma said that India retained the 40th position in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2023. He said that the unprecedented fillip given by the present government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi enabled India to better its innovation index. He said that the startup proliferation in the country can be attributed to the innovative skills of the youth.
Congratulating the college fraternity on stepping into 34 years of its academic journey, chief minister Sarma paid his rich tributes to those stalwarts who are responsible for transforming Sonapur College to its present position. Stating that the college has been playing an important role in furthering higher education in Sonapur and its adjoining areas, the chief minister said that the college is also playing a crucial role in empowering the people of Sonapur and its adjoining areas, belonging to diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds of the region and beyond.
The chief minister also announced Rs 2.5 crore for the construction of an auditorium at Sonapur College. He also announced Rs 50 lakh for setting up a skill lab for skilling the students in semiconductors. He also said that the commerce stream will be introduced at Sonapur College from next year. Fulfilling a demand of the college, the chief minister said that Vigyan Mandir at Sonapur will be brought under Sonapur College in two months.
CM Sarma also asked Sonapur College to introduce a course on semiconductors. He said that setting up of a semiconductor assembly, test, marketing, and packing unit at Jagiroad will open up new vistas for employment. He, therefore, asked Sonapur College to take advantage of this, empower its students to take up jobs in the semiconductor sector. He also said that with Industry 4.0 demanding real-time decision-making, enhanced productivity, flexibility, and agility, the students should learn these special traits and become competent to reap the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution. The chief minister said that since every youth is endowed with unique abilities, colleges across the state should prepare agendas for skilling the youth.
The chief minister also asked Sonapur College to intensify its outreach program as part of its social responsibility, adopt villages, and spread the seeds of education among the villagers. Stating the transparent mode of appointment unleashed by the government, he said that the youth thus educated from the colleges across the state will get good opportunities to secure government jobs in the state.
On the occasion, the chief minister felicitated Lachit Kathar, who composed the college song, and Anwar Hussain, who designed the college logo in 1991, the founding year of Sonapur College.
Also in attendance were MLA Atul Bora, Dr Jitram Dutta, president of the Sonapur College Managing Committee, Dr Debabrata Khanikar, principal of the college, and several other dignitaries.
