JOIN USHigher Education Minister R V Deshpande on Wednesday said the department had decided to rate universities in the State to add value to the existing academic setup.
Addressing a gathering of academicians at a programme organised by the University of Mysore to launch its centenary year logo, web portal, online and outreach programmes in the city, Deshpande said the decision stemmed from the fact that despite having the oldest varsity in the State (University of Mysore), it was rated ninth in a recent survey conducted by a magazine in the country. Despite 200-odd universities in the country, the recent Singapore University has found a place in the survey, Deshpande said.
The proposed rating of the State universities will be entrusted to a professional agency to vet three main factors – requirements of the universities, quality of faculty and quality of education.
If these factors are realised, then it would be helpful in extending quality and affordable education, Deshpande added. He said moral values should be taught at the varsity level, as it was the need of the hour.
Tourism plaza
Addressing a meeting of officials later, regarding tourism ahead of Dasara, Deshpande said measures were being taken to give wide publicity to the festival by decorating 50 Volvo buses in Bangalore with Dasara posters.
It is also planned to hold cultural programmes in front of the Palace even after Dasara during weekends, beginning from October 11-12. It will be a joint initiative of the Kannada and Culture and the Tourism Department, Deshpande said.
An exclusive tourism plaza at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore is also being planned in Mysore, while measures are being initiated to start a sound-and-light programme at Srirangapatna from this Dasara.
Golden chariot
Golden Chariot train, which has been a hit among tourists for connecting tourist spots in the State, will be extended to Mysore from Bangalore on September 24, ahead of Dasara. The train, operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, is ranked fifth best in the country. It will be stationed in Mysore for the day.
Flight service
Regarding the recent announcement of SpiceJet to temporarily cancel its flight services from Mysore Airport at Mandakalli from September 5, Deshpande said a meeting had been convened on September 8 in Bangalore to discuss the issue.