Vice President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan graces Ruby and Silver Jubilee Valedictory Celebrations of SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur

The Vice President Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan's address at SASTRA Deemed University's Ruby and Silver Jubilee Valedictory Celebrations in Thanjavur on August 17, 2026, encapsulates the government's multi-pronged strategy to transform India's higher education landscape in alignment with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision. This event is not merely a ceremonial milestone but a policy signaling moment where constitutional authorities validate and amplify the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020's implementation roadmap. The Vice President's explicit endorsement of NEP 2020 as a 'guiding pillar from KG to PhD' underscores its foundational role in restructuring education governance under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List (Seventh Schedule), which empowers both Centre and States to legislate on education. The reference to the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) — established via the ANRF Act, 2023 — highlights the shift from fragmented research funding to a unified, strategic body aimed at seeding competitive research ecosystems, directly addressing India's low R&D expenditure (approx. 0.65% of GDP) compared to global peers. The Prime Minister's Research Fellowship (PMRF), PM-Vidyalaxmi (an education loan guarantee scheme), and the Multiple Entry-Multiple Exit (MEME) framework under the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) collectively operationalize NEP's flexibility and equity pillars, enabling learners to navigate non-linear academic pathways — a critical reform for a country with a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of only 30% in higher education (AISHE 2021-22). The Vice President's target of 50% GER by 2035 aligns with NEP's ambition and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), demanding massive infrastructure expansion, faculty recruitment, and digital inclusion. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, recently enacted, reflects a governance response to systemic leakages in recruitment and entrance exams, reinforcing Article 14 (equality before law) and Article 16 (equality of opportunity in public employment) by safeguarding meritocracy. The launch of six SASTRA initiatives — notably the TRUST Centre with Tata Communications for cybersecurity — illustrates industry-academia convergence in strategic domains like sovereign digital infrastructure, resonating with the National Cyber Security Strategy and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. SASTRA.AI, MAITRI (internationalization), STRIDE Fund (faculty capacity), DRISHTI (digital pedagogy), and SMILE (alumni engagement) together form a microcosm of NEP's institutional autonomy and innovation mandate. The Vice President's call to youth — 'Say no to narcotic drugs' and limit social media — ties into the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and mental health concerns under the National Education Policy's holistic development framework. For aspirants, this event is a convergence point: it connects constitutional provisions, legislative reforms, institutional schemes, and socio-economic targets — all examinable across UPSC GS-II (Governance, Polity), GS-III (Economy, Science & Tech), and State PSC syllabi. Future implications include accelerated ANRF grant disbursals, MEME adoption across universities, GER tracking via AISHE, and deeper private-sector participation in critical tech research — making this a live case study for policy analysis questions.