Bengaluru, Jan 8 (IANS): Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said academic endeavours and co-curricular initiatives must attain primacy in universities, and not factionalism and divisive tendencies.

"Universities and educational institutions were pious places of learning where highest standards of decorum must be maintained," said Naidu at the silver jubilee function of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

He also expressed concern in reflection of the recent developments in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) where masked men and women indiscriminately attacked the varsity staff and students.

The Vice President said students leaving the portals of educational institutions must be enlightened citizens with social consciousness and responsibility towards the society.

Naidu lamented that fact that no Indian university featured in the top 100 global universities rankings and called upon institutions such as NAAC and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to take steps to address the shortcomings.

He noted that ancient Indian universities such as Nalanda, Vikramsila and Takshashila which earned global reputation, and called for regaining the past glory.

Naidu attended a string of events here on Tuesday, including presiding over the valedictory function of the 107th Indian Science Congress at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS).