Mangalore: Palemar Kick-starts NITK Golden Jubilee Celebrations
Pics:Prajwal Ukkuda
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Aug 7: The year-long golden jubilee celebrations of National Institute of Technology – Karnataka (NITK) were kick-started on Thursday August 6. The institute, set up by the name, ‘Karnataka Regional Engineering College’, which it continued to have till it was renamed in the year 2002, was set up on August 6, 1960, with the glorious efforts of MP and visionary, U Srinivas Mallya. NITK proposes to organize various meaningful events in the next one year to celebrate the golden jubilee in a fitting way.
District in-charge minister Krishna J Palemar, who inaugurated the celebrations, called NITK the ‘pride of Dakshina Kannada district’. He mentioned about the tremendous faith NITK enjoys among the people of the twin-districts. He also talked about the fame the institute has earned, through thousands of its students, who got educated here over the decades and have since fanned out all over the world. "Wherever a question is raised on the issue of quality, environmental pollution or such other issues, people fully trust, if NITK certifies the same through its laboratory reports," he noted. Palemar recalled the contributions made by MP U Srinivas Mallya and said, the elected representatives are duty-bound to help individuals and organizations who try to do something good for the nation. He cited the example of Ashok Kheny, managing director of NICE, who was present on the occasion, and wondered why elected representatives oppose Bangalore-Mysore Corridor project being executed by Kheny’s company. He requested the students of NITK to conduct research and invent mobile jammers that can function in a small area like meetings and functions.
NITK alumnus and managing director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises, Ashok Kheny, who participated as chief guest, recalled his days at the NITK campus and recollected that when he was studying here, the entire college had a long girl student. He wanted people and organizations to do something for serving social causes like human trafficking, forcing women to join brothels, empowering of the underprivileged classes etc., and asked the students to discharge their social responsibilities without waiting the government to shoulder this responsibility. He said, on his part, he has been executing a project of building a hostel for women in Bangalore at a cost of Rs 20 crore, that can accommodate 1,500 underprivileged women, in association with Balagangadharanath Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Mutt.
Old Students Association president K Yajnanarayana, in his address, opined that decisions can turn useful for the masses only if the governments takes suitable decisions promptly. He explained about various programmes undertaken by his association.
Manipal University pro-chancellor Dr H S Ballal, who presided over the function, praised the achievements of NITK during its existence in the past five decades. Past directors and principals of the institute, Prof Basavarajaiah, Prof N R Shetty, Prof B T Nijaguna, Prof B sudhakar Shetty, Prof B N Singh, Prof H V Sudhakar Nayak, Prof Y V Rao and Prof G K Shivkumar were felicitated. On behalf of the past principal B H Karka Reddy, his son Andani accepted the felicitation.
NITK director Prof Sandeep Sancheti welcomed. Eshwar Prakash presented the programme. Before the ceremony began, programmes like paying obeisance to the institute's founder Srinivas Mallya, golden jubilee run etc., were held.