KKC recommendations: Separate fund mooted

The KKC submitted its first set of 26 recommendations to the Government in August last. The commission has also been bringing out quarterly reports besides seeking feedback and collaboration from various departments for implementing its suggestions.

A separate budgetary head is likely to facilitate better co-ordination among various departments in implementing the recommendations. Discussions are still on and a final decision in this regard is expected to be announced in the State budget.

The commission’s 12 recommendations are in different stages of implementation. The working group of the commission on libraries and knowledge networks is preparing a prototype of an “internet van” in collaboration with Google India. The KKC had recommended a mobile internet van in every district of the State for creating awareness on availability of online knowledge resources.

The commission recently held discussions with the Department of Public Libraries for upgrading Indira Priyadarshini Children’s Library located in Cubbon Park into a resource centre for children of various schools in the State.

A committee, comprising Visvesvaraya Technological University Vice-Chancellor H P Kincha, former Defence Research and Development Organisation Chief V K Aatre and National Accreditation and Assessment Council Director H A Ranganath, is working on a blue print to establish “Karnataka State Research and Innovation Fund” to encourage colleges and universities to pursue research and build interface between State planning and research in higher education. Three recommendations  - developing Wikipedia type portal in Kannada, introducing uniform academic calendar for all universities, and increasing intake in UG courses in existing colleges - have been implemented.

Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation has developed a variety of skill development programmes in the Information Technology, retail, event management, travel and tourism sectors besides soft skills for fifth semester degree students. In all, KKC plans to submit a total of four sets of recommendations, including a final report, by April 2011.