Mandi (Himachal Pradesh), March 15 (IANS): President Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday that institutions of higher learning must adopt five villages each based on the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

Educational institutions must take greater responsibility for overall development, said the president in a speech that was read out in his absence.

President Mukherjee was scheduled to attend the convocation at the Indian Institute of Technology here, but could not reach due to bad weather.

"Our higher educational institutions are an integral part of the eco-system. They must assume greater responsibility for overall development," he said in a message that was read out by M. Natarajan, chairman of the IIT Mandi board of governors.

"The government has taken important initiatives, aimed at financial inclusion, creation of model villages, clean India and building of digital infrastructure. Institutions of higher learning, including IIT Mandi should adopt five villages each and convert them into model villages in line with the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana," he said.

Mukherjee also asked them to play a key role in realizing the objectives of the 'Digital India' programme.

"India's technical institutions must usher in social consciousness amongst our budding engineers and scientists. Along with professional competence, these centres of scientific learning must inculcate a social orientation in students," he said.

To bring about qualitative changes in teaching, the newly-established IITs must leverage the expertise available in the older IITs, the president said.

He said institutions, particularly engineering institutes, must promote a scientific temperament and spirit of inquiry in their students.

"They must encourage their students to follow their curiosity and explore their creativity. They must equip students to think beyond their textbooks and come up with ingenious ideas," he said.