University should study locally relevant issues: DC

'Focus on Love Jihad, moral policing, intolerance, culture'

Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim on Friday suggested that Mangalore University should study the issues plaguing Dakshina Kannada region and come up with solutions to contribute for the development of the society.

Addressing the gathering after inaugurating ‘Open House’ at Mangalagangotri, the postgraduate campus of the university located on the city outskirts, Ibrahim said the study should focus on locally relevant issues like moral policing, intolerance and also Love Jihad and in a particular, their veracity. Moreover, there should be a deeper study on increasing criminal activities too.

The culture and tradition of the land, mainly ‘aliyakattu’ and ‘bhootharadhane’, besides impetus to trade and banking as four nationalised banks were started here should be studied, he said.

The university can also focus on civic issues like drinking water problem, he added.The DC said dissent is being suppressed in the name of discipline. Barring Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), among 200 odd universities in the country, the other universities have not been challenging the system.

The universities must encourage students to think and become a partner in development, rather than being a memory testing centres, he observed.

Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar said the sentinels have been utilising the expertise at the university, with recent such exercise being teaching spoken Tulu to the low-rung in the Police Department.

Earlier, the functioning of the department had taken a beating with 36% of the constabulary lacking skills in local language, he added.

Vice-chancellor Prof K Byrappa regretted that research output from universities has come down to 35% against 70% in the 70s.

He noted that the university was ranked two after Central University of Hyderabad in research as 31 to 35 research papers have been certified by an international agency in the last two years.

The VC attributed it to the research facilities offered at the university. Besides, the university is also encouraging inter-disciplinary research, he added.