Mangalore: Manipal University Convocation Ceremony

Report by Divvy Kant Upadhyay
Pics by Dayananda Kukkaje
for Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Apr 5: Member of parliament and director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, Dr K Kasturirangan conferred degrees upon the young and beaming graduates of Manipal University at the University convocation held at the TMA Pai International Convention Centre here on Friday April 4.

In his address, after paying rich tribute to the founder of Manipal Group, the late Dr TMA Pai, Dr Kasturirangan said, 'The present chancellor, Dr Ramdas M Pai, is not only carrying forward the rich traditions of his distinguished predecessor but also has added his own seminal ideas to the pioneering concepts, to promote the overall development of the region and bring about a highly visible stature for the Manipal University at the global level.'

Praising the environs of Mangalore, Dr Kasturirangan said, 'the cultural and social traditions as well as the outlook of the people of this region provide added inspiration to the spirit of entrepreneurial activity.'

He added that, 'this spirit of entrepreneurship will be more and more relevant in coming days, as rapid changes in technology lead us to a knowledge-based society in India, for which we honestly need more efforts in different fields such as policy, legal, technical and commercial aspects.'

Noting that it was in this region that Manipal University started the country's first private medical college and went on to became India's first ISO 9001:2000 certified university, he stressed, 'that the Manipal University has set benchmarks of excellence for all other universities in the nation.'

In his advice to teachers, Dr Kasturirangan emphasized, 'there is need to assess and guide students to paths and vocations that enable them to realize their potential rather be cogs in the larger machines of international economic growth.'

Drawing attention to the fact that unfortunately, the 'service sector' is the only celebrated way forward in today's fast globalizing world, he added, 'Agricultural societies are subjected to a sharp erosion of their knowledge base, know-how and skills. Artisans, handicraft workers and a range of occupations and skills related to medicine, metallurgy, carpentry, architecture among others, that were based on inherited and orally transmitted knowledge systems have been either made redundant or marginalized as inappropriate for a modern economy.'

Lamenting the fact that excellence in education is now determined by the pay packet that students, primarily from the techno-managerial schools, can command, he stressed need for encouraging wide range of subjects and knowledge that also contribute to the larger world. Calling for broad based and comprehensive education systems, he further pointed out, 'the increasing specialization of knowledge and the intense competitive environment in which students have spent a significant part of their lives preparing for exams leaves them inadequately prepared for life's other bigger challenges.'

Chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group(MEMG) and chancellor of the Manipal University, Dr Ramdas M Pai was present at the convocation along with pro-chancellor Dr H S Ballal, vice-chancellor Dr Raj Warrier and heads and senior faculty of the constituent colleges of the Manipal University.