Lucknow, May 10 (IANS): President Pranab Mukherjee Friday expressed his concern over growing crime against women and children and called for inclusion of moral values in the curriculum of educational institutions.

Speaking at the fourth convocation at the Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar University here, the president said growing incidence of crimes against women and children had numbed the nation and called for an immediate end to them.

He also stressed the need to include moral values in syllabi of educational institutions, specially universities.

Pointing out how Indian culture and heritage was replete with acts of respect and admiration for women, Mukherjee said the time had come to strengthen moral values and principles, in which Indian history is so rich.

Calling Ambedkar a great thinker, social reformer and educationist, the president urged the faculty and students of the university to work on the principles of the founder of the Indian constitution.

Referring to the preliminary census, the president said that by the year 2020, the country would have a 64 percent working population and called for a central university in every state.