Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SM)
Udupi, Jan 2: New Year Award 2008, instituted by the academy of general education, rotary club and syndicate bank, was conferred on H S Ballal, pro-chancellor, Manipal University by K K Pai, registrar, Academy of General Education here on Tuesday January 1.
The ward has been given annually since 1941.
Ananthakrishna, chairman, Karnataka Bank Ltd, Y Abdulla Kunhi, managing director, Yenepoya group and scholar Erya Laxminarayana Alva were also conferred with the New Year Award 2008 on the occasion.
Speaking after receiving the award, H S Ballal said that higher education sector in the country was in a miserable state.
He further said that India though stands second in terms of populations, has only 400 public and private sector universities to impart higher education. The enrolment rate was as low as 11 per cent compared to the UNESCO world average of 20 per cent, he lamented.
Speaking on the occasion, Ananthakrishna said that the banking sector was at the turning-point. But Karnataka Bank is the only bank which has been adapting itself to the changes, he added.
He further said that the Karnataka Bank is the only private sector bank which has adopted the Core Banking Solution (CBS) in order to improve the customer service.
K K Pai welcomed the gathering on the occasion.