Education adalat in M'lore

Speaking at a convention on higher education, jointly organised by Federation of University and College Teachers’ Associations in Karnataka (FUCTAK) and Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT), at St Aloysius College here he said, exclusive adalat for students would cater to the needs of students. Any problems pertaining to the student community will be addressed to in the adalat.

Next education adalat for college teachers and non-teaching staff will be held in Mangalore to speed up pending cases, he said.

Stating that there is a need for reforms in education sector in the State, Limbavali said the State government is planning to launch many schemes including ‘Aptha Mithra’ (Best Friend) (wherein 100 newly opened colleges would share infrastructure and knowledge with 100 aided colleges); ‘Sahayoga’ (tie-up with industries to help students in placement); free internet facility for students; and ‘Angla’ (spoken English laboratories to help students in rural areas).

50% quota

In a bid to increase the general enrolment ration from the existing 11 per cent to 15 per cent (national average is 9 per cent), the State government would reserve 50 per cent of seats in all government, aided and private degree colleges and the same will be filled through counselling on the lines of CET counselling, he said. Henceforth, a student need not apply to many colleges. “With the help of single application, the student can get a seat in any college of his choice,” he said and added that the move has already been discussed in Inter-University Board (IUB).

Change in attitude

Stressing the need to change the mindset of some lower-level officials in the Education Department, he said the government has set a deadline (October 2, 2009) to make the Education Department a ‘paperless office.’

Higher Education Secretary A S Srikanth called upon the teachers to urge students in post graduate level to take up SET/NET, so that more and more number of qualified teachers take up teaching profession. He regretted that there is nearly 40 per cent vacancy in the education department.

Consider the report

Earlier, FUCTAK President Prof A M Narahari lauded the efforts of Higher Education Department and Minister for responding to the cause of teachers and forming State Skill Commission and urged the Minister to look into the report (to be submitted soon) on Amendment to Karnataka University Act 2000.

Collegiate Education Commissioner Dr Nagambika Devi, Additional Director Prof V Kamalamma, Deputy Chairman (NRI Forum) Capt Ganesh Karnik, MLA N Yogish Bhat were present. Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof K M Kaveriappa presided.

‘IAS, IPS, KAS, KPS registrars will be replaced by experts in education field’

Taking a dig at the previous government’s move to appoint the Forest Department officials as registrars of universities, Minister Aravind Limbavali said, “How can a Forest official or an IPS officer, who does not know anything about the education sector bring about reforms in the sector?”, reports DHNS from Mangalore.

I have already spoken to the vice-chancellors and persons concerned and asked them to send a list of persons who befit the post. “Senior professors or those who have vast knowledge about education will be made the registrars,” he said. MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik and MLA N Yogish Bhat too urged the ministers to replace the bureaucrats serving as registrars.