Underscoring the need for society to introspect and find ways to prevent crimes against women, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday exhorted universities to meet the requirements of moral challenges faced by society.

Addressing the 13th Annual Convocation of Assam University, he also expressed concerns over the inadequacies in the education sector to cater to a large population.

“The increase in cases of crime against women and children calls for effective steps to ensure their safety and security. It also underscores the need for society to introspect and find ways to arrest the moral decline,” Mukherjee said.

He exhorted universities to take efforts to meet the requirements of moral challenges faced by society.

“It is for our universities and other institutes of higher learning to initiate a movement to meet the moral challenges and ensure that our civilizations values are once again reiterated,” he said

The President also noted the fundamental role played by education in development of society and the nation. “If our country has to continue on its path of higher growth, then the relentless pursuit of higher educational standards is an indispensable requirement for its achievement,” he said.

The President said during the 11th Five Year Plan, 65 new central institutions, including 21 central universities, were started and the number of central institutions increased by about 75 per cent. But he noted that the “phenomenal growth is still inadequate to cater to the demand for higher education in the country.”

Highlighting the problems of both “quality and quantity” in the education sector, Mukherjee said, “It is disheartening that many places in our country do not have higher educational institutions that are within the reach of aspiring students.”

He, however, expressed happiness that density of educational institutions in the country has increased from 10 to 14 institutions per 1,000 square kilometre during the 11th Plan Period.

Noting that India has the second largest higher education system in the world, Mukhrjee said, “but the gross enrolment in 2010 was only about 19 per cent, which is much below the world average of 29 per cent.”

He said the low enrolment rate of the disadvantaged sections, which is much below the national average, is further adding to the woes of the poor. Mukherjee appreciated the fact that number of girls completing higher education has surpassed boys.