Mangalore University Convocation: Moily, Padukone Awarded Honorary Doctorates
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MM/AF)
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Mangalore, Feb 16: Less than 1 per cent of the youth aged between 18-23 years were entering into higher education during post-independence era. Though this percentage has increased to 10 per cent now, the country is not even meeting the world average of 23 per cent. Hence, the University Grant Commission (UGC) has introduced various plans to increase the enrollment of students in higher education, said Prof Sukhadeo Thorat, chairman of UGC.
Addressing the 26th annual convocation of Mangalore University on Saturday, February 16 he said that in 1950 there were only 25 universities and 700 colleges with a few thousand students. Now the country has about 400 universities and 20 thousand colleges with 12 million students passing out every year. One should be proud of this achievement. However, the endeavour should be to enroll maximum number of youth in higher education, he said.
UGC has formed a strategy to improve access to higher education for those who are out of its reach and for those who are denied education. Meanwhile, UGC will also not compromise in quality and excellence. Education should be relevant and useful in developing the personality of youth and make him or her worthy of employment, he added.
The proposed strategy under the 11th five-year-plan includes measures to correct three imbalances, namely inter-regional, inter-social group (social groups and minorities) and gender imbalances. Similarly, colleges and educational institutions in districts with relatively higher population of minorities will receive additional support, Prof Thorat informed.
Honourary Doctorate:
Prof Thorat awarded honourary doctorate degrees to former chief minister and present Union Administrative Reforms Commission chairman M Veerappa Moily, educationalist and food technologist Dr Selvidas, badminton player Prakash Padukone, litterateur Sara Abubakkar and philanthropist G Shanker of Gundmi.
A total of 72 persons, including Ronald Anil Fernandes, senior correspondent of Deccan Herald and Sr Celine Vas, journalism lecturer in St Aloysius College were awarded PhD on the occasion. Moreover, for the first time students who studied in the mass communication and journalism department in Mangalore University were awarded PhD. The department was started in the year 1988.
A total of 89 students were awarded gold medals and cash awards for academic excellence in various disciplines. Prof K M Kaveriappa, vice-chancellor of Mangalore University, Dr K Sundar Naik, registrar of the university and others were present.
Dr Ravishankar compered the programme.