The objective of universities should be to inculcate social justice and innovation and only such varsities have a bright future, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Tuesday.

For its part the state government has created a platform: 'Naan Mudhalvan' scheme aiming to make the Tamil Nadu students emerge successful in education and life, he said in his address at the 38th convocation of the Bharathidasan University here attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor R N Ravi.

"My dream project Naan Mudhalvan Thittam has in two years ensured skilling to 29 lakh students and 32,000 teachers. Employment opportunities were created for 1.45 lakh youth in a year," he noted.

Another crucial factor that made education, especially professional education, accessible to poor students was the 7.5 reservation for state government school students. This paved the way for about 28,749 students of state government schools to pursue courses in engineering, medicine, agriculture, fisheries, and animal husbandry in three successive academic years, he said.

"The state government has spent Rs 482 crore towards the education, and hostel and transport charges of those students. All this goes to show the government's efforts in taking the students' power to the next level," the CM said.

Tamil Nadu, he said was the best-performing state in higher education in India and was also the first among the states in the country in the intake of students to polytechnic courses due to the proactive measures taken by the government to improve the education infrastructure in the state.

Stalin, who earlier received PM Modi upon his arrival here, said the state was the best in India in higher education and many universities figured in the top list because of the seeds sown for education during the Justice Party rule. "The social justice goal of the Dravidian model of governance is to ensure education, collegiate education, and research (accessible) for all," Stalin said.

The University is named after the rationalist writer Bharatidasan.

"You (graduates) are the future of the nation. Shine as the best person in your chosen profession. Utilise the education provided by your parents and society to serve them, and the nation. As Chief Minister and a father I urge you to be the best human and fetch laurels for your university, teachers, state, and the nation," he added.

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