Govt committed to provide quality education, says CM

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday said that the state government is committed to providing quality education and urged the faculty members to give ideas on improving the quality.

The CM was addressing a gathering, after inaugurating various projects of the University of Mysore (UoM), at the Crawford Hall, here.

Kumaraswamy said, “The education system, particularly higher education, is witnessing a huge change in the last 25 years and it is important to give quality. The teaching faculty members must be updated. The government will consider their suggestions and will implement them without delay.”

Stress on research

The CM said, “Research works are on a decline, compared to yesteryears. The faculty members should encourage research works. The government will extend full support for research works.”

Kumaraswamy pointed out that several renowned universities abroad have closed, owing to the home-based education system. The CM lauded the century-old UoM for its contribution in producing several dignitaries.

In his address, JD(S) leader, also former vice chancellor of the UoM, K S Rangappa said that in recent years, government-run institutions are vanishing and private institutions are flourishing. He pointed at that the lack of infrastructure in government institution as the cause for it. Rangappa urged the CM to provide facilities to improve the quality of education.

Shortage of staff

Rangappa, urging the CM to take measures to appoint teaching faculty members, pointed out that the varsity is running with a shortage of faculty members as the appointment is due from the past 10 years. The faculty is very much needed to ensure quality education in any institution, he added.

Expressing displeasure over the Union government, Rangappa said, “Though the varsity authorities had urged the Centre to develop the UoM to the standards of a national university on par of the Indian Institute of Technology and had submitted a proposal, during the centenary celebrations in 2016, the government did not respond.”

The CM inaugurated newly developed School of Law, Centenary Museum, Commercial Complex, Distant Programme, UoM swimming pool gallery, and new building of Organic Chemistry department. The CM also laid foundation for the works on a new campus of the UoM, coming up at the foot of Chamundi Hill.

Minister for Higher Education G T Devegowda, Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh, Vice Chancellor G Hemantha Kumar and Registrar Lingaraja Gandhi were present.

Civic reception

Later in the evening, Kumaraswamy participated in a civic reception, organised by the JD(S) party. Thousands of people from various parts of the district and neighboring districts, were seen waiting since morning to attend the programme, at the Maharaja’s College grounds. The buses, which had ferried the people from all parts of the district, were seen parked on many open spaces across the city.

CM dedicates mega diary

Earlier in the day, the CM inaugurated the fully automated mega milk dairy, set up by Mysuru District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Societies’ Union at Alanahalli near here.

The mega dairy is the largest in the state, and has the capacity to process six lakh litres milk a day, which can be increased to nine lakh. The new unit is spread over 13 acres out of 38.19 acres.

The government has invested Rs 128 crore in the first phase, and works at a cost of Rs 59 crore will be taken up in the second phase. Milk powder unit with the capacity to produce 30 metric tonnes, will be established in phase two.