Professor of Statistics at Pondicherry University Vishnuvardhan Rudravaram on Tuesday said that teachers and students would struggle to remain relevant in the future unless they embraced modern technology.Addressing the inaugural session of a five-day Faculty Development Programme (FDP) jointly organised by the Departments of Statistics, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at P.B. Siddhartha Arts and Science College in Vijayawada, Dr. Vishnuvardhan highlighted the growing role of Python in applying statistical tools to Machine Learning. He underscored the need to integrate emerging technologies and analytical tools into academic practices to keep pace with the rapidly evolving educational landscape.The programme was inaugurated by college convener N. Lalitha Prasad.Principal M. Ramesh urged faculty members to continuously upgrade their professional skills and competencies to meet emerging academic and industry requirements.Later, the college administration felicitated Dr. Vishnuvardhan. Among those present were Head of the Department of Statistics and Academic Officer G. Chakravarthi, Head of the Department of Data Science K. Udayasree, Principal M. Ramesh, Siddhartha Academy Joint Secretary N. Lalitha Prasad and Director V. Baburao. Published - June 10, 2026 06:02 pm IST