Chennai, Jan 10 (IANS): Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said the time has come for educational institutions to break free of conventional study of disciplines and also teach students the country's rich history.

In his address at the centenary celebrations of the National College in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli, Naidu said: "It is time for our educational institutions to break the moulds of conventional study disciplines. Some of the most exciting possibilities lie in the intersection of disciplines."

According to him, encouragement should be given to science students to pursue social sciences and also promote understanding of scientific breakthroughs in social studies majors.

Naidu said irrespective of their stream of study, students should be taught India's rich history and the life stories of the great men and women who gave shape and form to this great nation.

He said literacy in India has been one of the key deterrents to the socio-economic progress of the country and with a literacy rate of 76 per cent, the country lags behind the world average of 86 per cent.

Naidu said in ancient times, education in India was free, egalitarian and accessible to both men and women and the curriculum was comprehensive and placed equal emphasis on the intellectual, emotional, psychological and physical development of the students.

"If we are to restore this ancient glory, we must endeavor to fortify our modern education system with the wisdom gleaned from our ancient texts and practices, distilled in a relatable, rational and lucid manner, keeping in view the application of this wisdom to today's real-world challenges," he said.

Stressing that investment in education is investing in a bright future for the country, Naidu said the outlay for education should be increased to six per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) from the current 4.6 per cent.

According to him, the future of India's education lies in effective and efficient models of Public-Private Partnerships.

About the National College, Naidu said the nationalist philosophy of three committed teachers from Tiruchirappalli -- G. Sesha Iyengar, P.G. Sundaresa Sastrigal and B.S. Venkataramana Sarma -- led to the setting up of a school in June 1886.

By June 1919, it became a full-fledged college owing to the efforts of T.V. Seshagiri Iyer, T. Desikachariar, N.D. Subbarama Iyer and Sivarama Krishna Iyer.

"I feel blessed to visit the College where the luminaries like the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi and the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru have addressed the gathering on various occasions," Naidu said.