Jaipur, July 10 : Stressing the need to reverse value erosion in society, President Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday said students must understand that considerable resource, effort and sacrifice has gone into their education.

Speaking at the convocation of Malaviya National Institute of Technology here, the president asked students to have a clear perspective about what education means to them, what success implies and whether a good career with an attractive salary is the be all and end all in life.

"Students must understand that considerable resource, effort and sacrifice has gone into their education. Society has invested in them and it is legitimate to expect that they would pay a dividend back to society for this investment. Students should pay this dividend by helping the weak, needy and deprived in society," he said.

The president said human values and a sense of social commitment must be inculcated in students.

"The fact that in the India of today, our society is still bothered by moral unrest... it reminds us of the task ahead. We must reverse value erosion in society, and for that, we must instill in our youth the essential civilisational values of love for the motherland, performance of duty, compassion for all, tolerance for pluralism, respect for women, honesty, self-restraint in conduct, responsibility in action and discipline," he said, calling upon academic institutions to play a leading role in guiding young minds.(IANS)