Speaking after inaugurating Milagres First Grade College here on Wednesday, he said that education helps in building the character of an individual and help them become good citizens of the country.

“The enrolment ratio of students to higher education is only 12.4 per cent in India. However, the average enrolment ratio at the global level is 24 per cent. We have to strive hard to reach the global average in the enrolment of students to higher education atleast by 2020.”

Stating that there are 2,000 universities in Japan and 3,500 universities in the US, Prof Murthy said: “We have only 480 universities and 22,000 colleges. There is a need to increase the enrolment ratio in the higher education by increasing the number of colleges.”

He said that along with providing education, colleges should strive for maintaining the quality. Many institutions which were started with the intention of imparting education after accomplishing its task of quality, they are resorting to making money, he regretted and added that private public partnership is essential in the education sector.

Mangalore University Registrar Prof K Chinnappa Gowda said that Christian institutions have become role model in the country. They are known for the ‘discipline’ of a father and ‘love’ of a mother while imparting education.

Stating that education and health are service sectors, he regretted that these sectors have become business-oriented in the recent years. Educational institutions should impart education to all irrespective of rich and poor, he added. He also stressed the need to develop reading habit among students in the college level.

Mangalore Bishop Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza said that Catholic institutions aim at providing value based education. Though there were allegations that Christian educational institutions are involved in conversion, it is not true. “If it was so, then the 50 per cent of the country’s population would have been Christians by this time,” he said.
He called upon the teachers to teach students to love humanity. Present education system is concentrating on producing utilitarian, career literates. There is a need to reorganise the education system to impart values along with the knowledge, he added. The first Grade College offers Bcom and BBM streams to the students.

Parish Priest Rev Fr Walter D’Mello, Jubilee Committee convenor Marcel Monteiro, Milagres College Principal Prof Lawrence D’Costa, Catholic Board of Education Secretary Rev Fr Wilson D’Souza and others were present.