'Autonomy crucial for higher edn'

The student who had studied MSc Bioinformatics in St Aloysius College used to daily shuttle trains between Kanhangad and Mangalore.

“I feel all my hard work is finally paid off. I had to undergo lot of struggles to finish my course,” said Rahul, speaking to Deccan Herald.

Similar to Rahul, there were many dreamy eyed youth having their own success stories, all dressed in white to receive their convocation at the first graduation ceremony of St Aloysius College (Autonomous) that was held on Saturday.

“The 21st century is a century of India. The era is now a reverse of brain drain with IIT graduates increasingly preferring to remain or return to the country,” said M Veerappa Moily delivering the graduation day address.

The hunger to out-grow expectation makes a person or country leap forward. The Indian higher education system is presently facing several challenges. The challenge of global competiveness has been added to other demanding tasks such as access, equity, relevance, privatisation and internationalisation in face of resource crunch, he said.

He added that autonomy is crucial for the growth and development of higher education in the country.

India grew faster than 5 per cent per year in the crisis year of 2008 and 2009 and was the 10th fastest growing economy for 2009-10. A rising global middle class driven by Asia and India in particular is the name game changer in an embattled world, he said.

The graduation ceremony had as many as 650 graduates, who had registered to receive the degree certificates in person. As many as 80 rank holders in Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate courses were felicitated with a medal, certificate and cash prize on the occasion.

“Be a fire that lights other fires. The motto of the college has always foucused on forming men and women for others,” said Karnataka Jesuit Provincial Rev Fr Francis Serrao, presiding over the programme.