'Compliment edn with practical, mgmt skills, EQ'

Today’s education system should also include life skills, professional skills and entrepreneurship. But, along with these, independence of thought and action, sensitivity to other’s well being and feelings should also be addressed, opined Kuvempu University former Vice Chancellor Prof K Chidananda Gowda. He was delivering the Foundation Day lecture ‘Education for the new millenium’ at Mangalore University in Mangalagangotri on Thursday.

Stating that we live in the times where the education system is customer-centred, he said that if one wants to be happy with the education system, one should be educative, meditative and skillful.

“Management Guru Peter Drucker told a decade ago that Information Technology will bring about the demise of the university, as currently constituted. The new millenium has become a knowledge based information society and the world is preparing itself to switch on to the outcome based education system, from the present input based system. Knowledge, process, skills and attitude play a vital role in converting the input based education system to outcome based education system,” Gowda said.

Speaking on the issues of education in the new millenium, Prof Chidananda Gowda said that life long education is one of the features of education and various levels of education should be complimented with non-formal education, training, entertainment, practical component, emotional quotient and management skills etc to make education fruitful. One should pose to themselves the questions, known as the five fingers of knowledge know-what (mindfulness), know-why (science), know-how  (engineering and technology), know-who (spirituality and sociology) and know-where (goal of life).

Young people can have fertile minds only if we give them the right type of teaching and training through education. The paradox is that 17 per cent of India’s graduates are jobless (45 million  people) and India faces shortage of 45 million skilled labourers. Hence, there is a need to give more emphasis on skill development and to integerate entrepreneurship into the mainstream education system, Prof Gowda said.

Kuvempu varsity model

Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof T C Shivashankar Murthy said Mangalore University is following the model of Kuvempu University in infrastructure development and is committed to provide state-of-the-art facilities in the campus. The university is giving prominence to teaching, research and renovation. The VC added that a grant of Rs 12.49 crore has been provided by the University Grants Commission recently towards library, equipment and development works. He further told that under Rastriya Uccha Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Rs 49,000 crore has been earmarked by the UGC towards Higher education and out of this funds, Rs 25,000 crore will be reserved for state universities.

Prof Murthy speaking on the development works in the University told that the next focus area of the University will be bio-prospective and bio-diversity. The internal roads of the University will be developed and 400 meter running track will be completed by the end of December, he added.

University Registrar Prof P S Edapadithaya, Registrar (Evaluation) Prof Narayan and Finance Officer Pakirappa were present.