Pics: Joshwa D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru (JD)

Mangaluru, Oct 6: “The rules for the higher education are framed in 2000 and much has happened in the world after that and to make out students competent with the changing trends we need to make changes in the policies of universities in the state. We must frame a system to revise the policies once in every month,” said Ivan D’souza, the chief whip of Karnataka Legislative Assembly. 

He was referring to university act of 2000 while addressing the gathered in the Ravindra Kala Bhavan of the University College after inaugurating the new courses in the evening college including MA in Konkani on Wednesday, October 5.

French and German diploma courses too were started. MA in Konkani is first in the state and second in India.

“We always speak about upgrading our education system but unfortunately we have not updated the university act. Now due to the semester system, our students have to write exams once in six months and hence are not able to perform in extracurricular activities like sports.” he added.

“Earlier when there was the annual system of evaluation, students could focus on sports. Now the circular to give additional grace marks to the athletes and sportsmen by the university is appreciable and I urge the government to extend the same to even the other universities of the state. We have started many universities and made many experiments with them. Now it's the time to study all our rules and reframe them as per the existing challenges.” Ivan said.

“We have many courses to offer in the state but unfortunately if a person fails to get the engineering seat, he opts for a diploma seat or the ITI seat. The students must study by choice and merit and not be chance. Hence I will urge the government to start selection of students for all the courses at once and avoid the confusion.” Ivan concluded.

Speaking on the occasion, the president of the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy Roy Castelino said that the MLC must urge the government to introduce Konkani in the pre-university stage across the state so that the discontinuity while learning Konkan between the high school and the graduation level is filled.

He later also handed the cart of few books symbolically to the principal of the university college donated by the academy to the college.

Principal of the evening college, Dr Subhashini Shrivathsa, registrar of Mangaluru University Prof KM Lokesh, principal of the university college Prof Uday Kumar and others were present on the occasion.