The realistic evaluation of higher education has to be viewed in the backdrop of the objectives that we had set for ourselves in our constitution in terms of constituting India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic and lo secure for all its citizens justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. It has always been observed that education plays a vital role in the achievement of these Objectives. Higher education provides people with an opportunity to reflect on the critical, social, economic, cultural, moral, and spiritual issues facing humanity. It contributes to national development through dissemination of specialized knowledge and skills. It is therefore, a crucial factor for survival Being at the apex of the educational pyramid, it has also a key role in producing teachers for the educational system.

Our present system of Higher education has indeed made significant contribution to the development of our country since independence.

Jammu and Kashmir state has been generous in expanding higher education by apening colleges of education thus providing job opportunities for the state In particular and the other states of the country in general

Sacred Heart College of Education leaves no stone unturned to make this college hub of all activities for the growth and development of teacher trainees across the country.

It gives me immense pleasure to know that Sacred Heart College Of Education is organizing a State level seminar on the topic "Towards Achieving Excellence in Higher Education" to explore new trends in Teacher Education.

Such initiatives open new horizons and act as guiding forces for the continuous growth and development of the institution.

I appreciate the efforts of staff and stakeholders for contributing towards this noble mission with dedication and enthusiasm.

'Excellence' by and large is determined by opportunities, encouragement, training, motivation, self-confidence and above all practice.

Amartya Sen while delivering the keynote address in South Asian conference at Now Delhi on November 15, 1999, upined that higher education in India is in a state of crises with respect to deterioration of quality. Education is a lot of sweat apart from genius.

We ought to think much more on what we want from our educational system and how can we make our goal come true. un, Quite a lot of our successes depend on not what we inherit but on what we acquire and how we apply it

In recent times much is talk of excellence and many propose to create 'centers of excellance'. Excellence has attached tremendous attention in our country for last decade. Articles in the journals and and newspapers, seminars and debates and souvinars are being published to arrest the attention but practically all is still a mirage.

No doubt great teachers with expertise, a talent for communication and durable affection towards quality enhancement are revered and emulated. But at the same time there are large number of higher learning institutions only in name, where lecturers intone an oft-repeated phrase -lecture, where much is irrelevant where professors profess not knowledge, but mere superiority The golden age syndrome which explains why the elder generation continues to glorify the great teachers of the past is because of cultivating not only profound critical scholarship of a very high order but also the powers of communication-both spoken and written which made scholars like Dr. 8. Radhakrishnan universally acclaimed scholar statesman