'Education helps in human resource development'

Chikkaballapur MP and former Union Minister Veerappa Moily said that education is not for getting a degree alone.

It is a system for human resource development, he added, speaking after inaugurating the renovated Ravindra Kalabhavana Complex at the University College on Tuesday.

Moily said that colleges help bring out hidden talent in students. “Colleges help students by organising creative art forms and thus help in personality development of students. I am a fine example of colleges helping in nurturing students to become leaders of the country. My multi-faceted talent was ignited here in college,” he explained.

Recalling his experiences as a student at the University College (then called Government College), Moily recalled the contributions of lecturers in nurturing him and contributing for the overall development of his personality.

“The University College had set a landmark by obtaining the ‘special heritage status’ from the University Grants Commission (UGC), which had made provision for grant under its scheme to renovate and restore the heritage structure and sanctioned Rs 1.86 crore. Additional amount was set aside by the Mangalore University. The Complex was renovated at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore,” Moily added.

The renovation work has been initiated without spoiling the old structure.

Moily said, “When I expressed my desire as an education minister to visit the college I had studied in Mangaluru, then Vice Chancellor Prof Savadatti persuaded me not to visit the College. With a lot of hesitation, he took me to the college. I was saddened by the sight of the College with broken benches and desks and the chaotic situation.”

Speaking further, the former minister reminisced, “I later urged the Mangalore University to take over the College as its constituent college and work towards its overall growth. On March 6, 1993, the Government College was taken over by the Mangalore University as its constituent college and renamed as University College. From poor results, the College has come a long way by now registering 95% pass percentage.”

Moily said that there was demand for additional Rs 1.14 crore amount for the rejuvenation of the College building, which is 150-year-old.

“I will make an effort to release the grants from various sources if the project proposals are submitted,” the former minister promised.

Prof Uday Kumar M A, University College principal, said that the Ravindra Kalabhavana, is named after national poet Rabindranath Tagore who visited the College in 1922. “The backside of the Ravindra Kalabhavana had housed a library of the College. It was shifted to the new venue only in 2002. The Kalabhavana was also used as a classroom in the past,” he explained.

“The renovated complex has three additional halls and one meeting hall. There are plans to use two galleries situated on both sides as the art gallery,” he added.